UCSB   LIBRARY 


NATHALIE'S   SISTER 


ANNA   CHAPIN   RAY'S 
WRITINGS 

TEDDY,  HER  BOOK. 
PHEBE,  HER  PROFESSION. 
TEDDY,  HER  DAUGHTER. 
NATHALIE'S  CHUM. 
URSULA'S  FRESHMAN. 
NATHALIE'S  SISTER. 
EACH  LIFE  UNFULFILLED. 
THE  DOMINANT  STRAIN. 
BY  THE  GOOD  SAINTE  ANNE. 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER 


Clje  Last  of  tf>e  jmcaifetet  Hecorte 


BY 


ANNA   C-HAPIN   RAY 

AUTHOH  OP  "TEDDY,  HER  BOOK,"  "  PHEBE,  HER  PROFESSION," 
"NATHALIE'S  CHUM,"  "URSULA'S  FRESHMAN,"  ETC. 


ILLUSTRATED   BY 
ALICE  BARBER  STEPHENS 


BOSTON 
LITTLE,  BROWN,  AND  COMPANY 

1907 


Copyright,  1904, 
BY  LITTLE,  BROWN,  AND  COMPANY. 


All  rights  reserved. 


Published  September,  1904. 


9t(ntar* 
8.  J.  PAKKHILL  &  Co.,  BOSTON,  U.  8.  A. 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 


"  'Now  look  here,  my  girl,  I 've  got  to  have 

those  papers  '  " Frontispiece 

"  With  a  swift  gesture,  Nathalie  caught  the 

snow-white  head  in  her  hands  "  .     .     .      Page        6 

"  The  man  sat  up  hastily,  and  rescued  a  corner 

of  The  Egoist  from  Sophia's  teeth  "      .         "          33 

"'Peggy,   dear,  what   is  it?     Is    something 

wrong?'  Ursula  asked  again  "    ...         "  98 

"  She  took  a  steady  look  at  the  brown  head 

in  her  lap  " "        216 

"  Peggy,  a  little  pale  and  very  determined, 

had  been  put  upon  the  stand"    ...         "        279 


NATHALIE'S    SISTER 


CHAPTER   ONE 

"  fT^HAT  may  be ;    but  it 's  no  reason  for 

JL     sending  her  to  be  butchered." 

"  It  is  n't  butchery ;  it 's  chloroform,  Na- 
thalie," Mrs.  Barrett  corrected  blandly. 

But  impatiently  Nathalie  brushed  her  yellow 
hair  off  from  her  heated  forehead,  and  swept 
on  with  her  arraignment. 

"  Yes,  it  is  butchery.  It  does  n't  make  any 
difference  whether  you  do  it  with  a  guillotine 
or  a  ten-ounce  bottle  of  chloroform.  If  you 
could  have  seen  the  corners  of  her  mouth  when 
I  met  her !  " 

"  I  can  imagine.  She  has  in  her  the  making 
of  an  ideal  undertaker." 

"  What  did  you  get  her  for,  in  the  first 
place  ?  "  Nathalie  demanded. 

"  Ornament.  I  thought  she  would  be  so  im- 
pressive, stalking  along  beside  me  when  I  went 
to  market." 

1 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER 


"  She  will,  if  you  give  her  the  chance." 

Bending  over,  Mrs.  Barrett  tightened  a  pin 
in  the  yellow  hair  beside  her  knee. 

"  Unfortunately,  she  has  begun  going  to 
market  on  her  own  account." 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  That,  in  the  last  four  days,  she  has  killed 
thirty-seven  of  Mrs.  Babcock's  chickens.  Mrs. 
Babcock  loves  her  chickens.  She  boils  corn- 
meal  mush  for  them,  and  then  she  stands  and 
watches  them  eat  it."  Mrs.  Barrett's  shoulders 
finished  the  paragraph  and  registered  her  im- 
pression of  Mrs.  Babcock. 

Nathalie  moved  to  the  other  end  of  the  step, 
where  she  could  sit  facing  Mrs.  Barrett, 

"  And  so  do  you  love  Sophia,"  she  remon- 
strated. 

"  Sophia  Smith,  if  you  please.  Ted  named 
her  in  the  spasm  of  loyalty  that  followed  her 
class  reunion.  Well  ?  " 

"  Then  why  did  n't  you  protect  her  ?  " 

"  How  could  I  ?  Mrs.  Babcock  descended 
upon  me,  yesterday,  with  eighteen  downy  corpses 
spread  out  in  an  accusing  row  on  a  board,  and 
Sophia  stood  on  her  hind  legs  to  greet  her,  with 
the  nineteenth  dangling  out  of  the  corners  of  her 
mouth.  I  was  penitent  enough  to  answer  for 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  3 

us  both;  but  Mrs.  Babcock  refused  to  be  ap- 
peased. All  I  could  do  was  to  beg  for  one  more 
trial.  It  came  off  this  morning :  a  race  between 
Sophia  and  Mrs.  Babcock,  with  a  chicken  for 
the  prize.  I  grieve  to  say  that  Sophia  won." 

"  And  you  are  going  to  have  Dr.  Allen  kill 
her?" 

"  Yes.  Giff  seemed  to  think  he  could  n't  do 
it,  right  in  the  middle  of  the  love-song  he  is 
writing  for  Monterro." 

Nathalie  spoke  slowly,  her  chin  resting  on 
her  fists,  — 

"  Aunt  Babe,  give  Sophia  to  me." 

"  What  would  you  do  with  her  ? " 

"  Save  her  life,  and  then  train  her." 

"And  the -chickens?" 

"  I  '11  keep  her  tied." 

"What  will  Mac  say?" 

Nathalie  raised  her  brows  and  cocked  her 
eyes  up  at  Mrs.  Barrett. 

"  Our  honeymoon  won't  be  over  till  next 
Wednesday,"  she  observed  demurely. 

"  Hm !  Well,  I  suppose  that  settles  it.  Talk 
it  over  with  father,  and,  if  he  is  willing,  tele- 
phone to  Dr.  Allen  to  send  her  back.  I  doubt 
if  the  expressman  will  bring  her,  though.  He 
said  she  not  only  filled  up  his  whole  wagon,  but 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER 


she  was  so  l  tiddley  on  her  pins/  as  he  phrased 
it,  that  he  had  to  walk  his  horses  for  fear  she 
would  capsize.  Giff  is  calling  me,  Nathalie, 
and  I  must  go.  I  wish  you  joy  of  your  pet,  and 
all  the  chicken  stew  your  appetite  can  desire." 

With  a  swift  but  leisurely  step,  Nathalie  went 
up  the  shady  street,  crossed  the  broad  lawn  at 
The  Savins,  and  threw  herself  down  at  the  feet 
of  the  old  man  on  the  veranda. 

"  Grandpa  McAlister  ?  " 

He  looked  up  from  his ,  paper  with  a  gay 
smile  which  belied  his  more  than  fourscore 
years.  Nathalie  smiled  back  at  him  in  perfect 
understanding.  Few  more  precious  gifts  had 
her  wedding  brought  her  than  the  kinship  with 
Dr.  John  McAlister. 

"  Yes,  my  lady." 

"  I  want  something,  —  want  it  very  badly." 

His  laugh  still  held  its  mellow  ring.  Even 
in  his  great  age,  Dr.  McAlister  was  young  at 
heart,  and  Nature,  always  just,  was  repaying 
him  for  a  well-spent  life  with  an  old  age  of  rare 
vigor  and  sweetness. 

"  Last  night  in  the  twilight,"  he  suggested ; 
"  I  am  sure  I  heard  you  confiding  to  Mac  that 
you  had  nothing  left  to  wish  for." 

"  I  had  n't  then ;    I  have,  to-day.     Mac  is 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER 


away,  gone  for  this  whole  blessed  afternoon, 
and  I  need  a  companion." 

"  So  soon  ?  " 

"  Yes,  for  he  will  be  sure  to  go  again.  Next 
time,  it  will  be  even  worse.  Grandpa  McAlister, 
I  want  —  "  She  paused,  as  if  to  add  weight 
to  her  words. 

"  What  ? " 

"  Aunt  Babe's  Sophia.  She  is  on  her  way  to 
be  killed,  unless  I  save  her  life." 

"  Then  I  should  advise  you  to  go  in  search 
of  a  telephone,"  Dr.  McAlister  suggested. 

"  But  you  don't  understand.  It  is  n't  as  if 
Mac  and  I  were  in  our  own  home.  If  I  take 
her,  she  will  howl  in  your  ears,  all  night;  she 
will  dig  holes  in  your  lawn,  all  day,  and  gnaw 
up  your  door-mats,  and  chase  the  cat  between 
whiles." 

As  she  halted  for  breath,  Dr.  McAlister  bent 
over  her  for  a  moment. 

"  My  dear  little  lady,  I  have  had  a  puppy  or 
two  in  my  time.  Moreover,  when  I  begged  you 
and  Mac  to  keep  house  for  me,  this  summer,  I 
expressly  stated  that  The  Savins  was  to  be  as 
much  home  to  you  as  to  me.  It  is  a  good  deal 
for  me,  you  know,  to  have  you  and  the  boy  with 
me,  all  summer  long.  For  the  sake  of  that  alone, 


6  .  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

I  would  be  willing  to  have  a  dozen  Sophias 
wailing  in  unison." 

With  a  swift  gesture,  Nathalie  caught  the 
snow-white  head  in  her  firm,  brown  hands. 

"  Don't  spoil  me,"  she  begged.  "  And  be- 
sides, what  about  the  two  extra  Arterburns  who 
are  coming  ?  " 

"  I  have  scarcely  seen  your  sister.  Harry 
would  be  welcome  at  The  Savins  at  any  time." 

Her  answering  smile  was  half  mocking,  half 
tender. 

"  You  Ve  learned  the  way  to  my  heart, 
Grandpa  McAlister.  Mac  and  Harry  make  up 
a  large  share  of  my  solar  system,  and  it  is  very 
good  to  have  you  care  for  them,  too."  She  rose 
as  if  to  go  to  the  telephone.  Then  she  turned 
back  again  impulsively.  "It  is  so  good  to  be 
here  with  you  all,  and  to  have  Hal  coming,  to- 
day. I  wish  you  could  know  how  happy  I  am." 

Two  hours  later,  she  appeared  in  the  doorway 
with  her  hat  on. 

"  I  am  going  in  town  to  see  Dr.  Allen,"  she 
announced.  "  I  can't  extract  any  satisfactory 
information  out  of  the  telephone,  and  I  am 
afraid  of  what  the  chloroform  bottle  may  do, 
unless  I  bestir  myself.  I  '11  be  out  on  the  five 
o'clock  train." 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER 


She  found  Sophia  Smith  lashed  to  one  of  the 
posts  in  the  stable  of  the  veterinary  hospital. 
The  corners  of  Sophia's  mouth  drooped  more 
disconsolately  than  ever,  and  all  the  curl  had 
gone  out  of  the  tail,  which  wagged  a  forlorn 
welcome  as  Nathalie  appeared.  A  thorough- 
bred staghound  whose  pedigree  was  coextensive 
with  those  of  half  the  belted  earls  of  the  British 
Isles,  Sophia's  lank  frame,  nevertheless,  was 
covered  with  a  coat  of  the  texture  of  a  frayed 
door-mat,  of  the  color  of  a  much-washed  linen 
duster.  One  ear  lopped  forward  over  her  brow, 
and  her  flanks  met  in  the  gaps  between  her 
ribs. 

"  Sophia,"  Nathalie  said  softly. 

Slowly  Sophia  rose  on  her  haunches.  From 
her  haunches  she  rose  on  her  hind  legs,  and  her 
fore  paws  met  in  an  embrace  which  lost  some- 
what of  its  fervor  by  reason  of  its  occurring  in 
mid-air,  three  feet  above  the  head  of  its  object. 

"  You  came  to  take  her  home  ?  "  the  attendant 
suggested  affably. 

"  No.     At  least,  where  is  the  expressman  ?  " 

"  He  would  n't  answer  the  telephone." 

"  Why  don't  you  try  again  ?  " 

"  Because  I  got  him,  the  first  time.  He  an- 
swered till  he  found  out  who  was  talking  to  him. 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER 


Then  he  hung  up,  and  I  couldn't  get  him 
again." 

"  Then  send  for  another." 

"  There  is  n't  any  other  that  goes  your  way." 

A  silence  followed.  Nathalie  stared  anx- 
iously at  Sophia  Smith,  who  gazed  gloomily 
back  at  her. 

"  How  can  I  ever  get  her  home  ?  "  she  asked 
blankly  at  length. 

"  You  'd  better  lead  her  right  along  with 
you  now,"  the  man  advised. 

"  Yes  —  but  —  "  Nathalie's  eyes  turned 
again  to  Sophia,  who  was  making  lunges  at  a 
passing  cat  until  the  post  creaked  with  the 
strain. 

"  I  '11  lend  you  a  lead,"  the  man  volunteered. 
"  She'll  go  quietly  enough,  once  she  gets  started. 
Bless  your  heart,  she 's  nothing  but  a  little 
puppy." 

With  a  sigh  and  a  glance  at  her  trim  walk- 
ing-gown, Nathalie  yielded  to  the  inevitable. 
Sophia,  meanwhile,  appeared  to  have  taken  root 
beside  the  post,  and  bent  her  neck  patiently  this 
way  and  that,  in  answer  to  Nathalie's  tuggings 
at  the  lead  which  the  attendant  had  snapped  on 
her  collar.  At  length,  however,  Sophia,  too, 
yielded  to  the  inevitable.  Converted  into  a 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  9 

wheelbarrow  by  two  firm  hands  upon  her  rear 
ankles,  she  allowed  herself  to  be  trundled  out 
into  the  street  and  headed  towards  The  Savins. 
Then  of  a  sudden  her  pride  of  birth  reasserted 
itself,  and,  as  beseemed  a  staghound  of  sorts, 
she  assumed  full  control  of  the  situation. 

More  than  an  hour  later,  she  was  still  holding 
control  of  the  situation.  It  was  four  miles  from 
town  to  The  Savins.  Nathalie,  who  would  have 
thought  nothing  of  a  four-mile  course  on  the 
golf  links,  wondered  vaguely  how  many  barley- 
corns there  were  in  four  miles ;  but  her  thoughts 
were  not  sufficiently  consecutive  to  allow  her  to 
perform  the  needful  multiplications.  Once  she 
progressed  as  far  as  yards.  Then  a  cat  loomed 
up  upon  the  horizon,  and  she  lost  count.  Her 
physical  progress  was  as  unsteady  as  her  mental 
one.  Sometimes  she  bounced;  sometimes  she 
broke  into  a  canter,  then  quickened  her  pace 
to  a  gallop,  and  went  pounding  forward  at  a 
speed  which  strewed  her  path  with  hair-pins. 
Then  of  a  sudden  Sophia  went  back  for  another 
look  at  something  she  had  passed,  and,  quite  as 
a  matter  of  course,  Nathalie  went  too.  Worst 
of  all,  Sophia  was  so  long  and  elastic,  and  the 
lead  so  very,  very  short. 

For   reasons   connected   solely   with   human 


10  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

vanity,  Nathalie  had  forsaken  the  direct  road 
towards  home.  It  was  shorter;  but  it  was  one 
of  the  favorite  drives  out  of  town,  and  at  that 
hour  of  the  afternoon  it  was  sure  to  be  crowded 
with  carriages.  All  in  all,  it  seemed  better  to 
her  to  follow  another  route,  one  which  led 
through  a  succession  of  undesirable  neighbor- 
hoods. Nathalie's  sense  of  direction  was  a  keen 
one.  Twice  she  had  driven  over  the  road,  and 
she  was  sure  of  its  every  turn.  For  so  much 
she  was  thankful;  but  it  soon  became  her  soli- 
tary cause  of  thankfulness. 

In  the  first  place,  there  was  a  superabundance 
of  dog  along  the  roadside.  With  each  successive 
dog  Sophia  paused  to  have  a  romp,  dragging 
Nathalie  through  a  species  of  Virginia  reel 
which  occupied  the  street  from  curb  to  cu:-b. 
The  romp  usually  ended  in  Sophia's  tumbling 
over  and  lying  prostrate  in  the  dust  until  her 
new  mistress,  with  infinite  toil,  succeeded  in 
prying  her  up  and  setting  her  on  her  long  legs 
again.  By  that  time,  the  first  dog  had  vanished 
and  a  new  one  had  arisen  to  take  his  placo. 
According  to  Nathalie's  exhausted  computa- 
tion, there  were  about  seventy-seven  dogs  to 
the  mile.  Then  Sophia  grew  thirsty,  and,  in 
her  search  for  a  drink,  she  made  her  way  into 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  11 

the  first  open  door  she  could  find.  The  open 
door  chanced  to  be  that  of  a  saloon,  and  Sophia 
and  Nathalie  had  a  prolonged  difference  t  of 
opinion  at  the  foot  of  the  steps.  From  the  door- 
way, the  man  eyed  her  thoughtfully. 

"Did  you  buy  it  to  ride,  missus  ?"  he  queried, 
when  Sophia,  exhausted  with  her  efforts,  sat 
down  to  rest  with  an  abruptness  which  caused 
Nathalie  to  seat  herself  upon  the  shaggy  back. 

Sophia  rose  abruptly.  For  the  once  she  was 
powerless  to  stand  against  the  strain  on  her 
lead ;  and  Nathalie,  her  chin  in  the  air,  stalked 
away  down  the  street.  Ten  feet  from  the  door, 
however,  Sophia  saw  a  cat  on  the  other  side  of 
a  wide  puddle,  and  Nathalie's  dignity  suddenly 
vanished.  A  young  staghound  can  jump  farther 
than  a  young  woman,  and  Nathalie's  crisp  pique 
skirt  drank  up  the  water  greedily. 

"  Sophia,  no !     Come  back !  "  she  ordered. 

The  tone  was  commanding.  Sophia  came. 
This  time,  in  her  eagerness  to  make  peace,  she 
came  through,  not  over,  the  puddle.  Her  thick 
paws  landed  on  the  points  of  Nathalie's  shoul- 
ders, and  her  peaked  muzzle  and  straggling 
mustache  were  pressed  against  the  girl's  cheek. 
Then,  light  of  heart,  she  dropped  back  to  the 
ground,  with  a  single  sweep  of  her  paw  knocked 


12  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

over  a  fox  terrier  and  rolled  over  on  top  of 
him. 

Just  as  Nathalie  had  succeeded  in  extricating 
her  charge  from  the  attacks  of  the  terrier,  a 
group  of  three  people  were  standing  in  the 
door  of  the  railway  station.  Of  the  two  men, 
one  was  tall,  yellow-haired,  and  full  of  the 
alertness  which  comes  from  superb  health;  the 
other  was  more  slender,  more  delicate,  yet  quite 
as  attractive  as  his  companion.  Both  men  were 
of  thoroughbred  stock;  both  bore  the  marks  of 
refined  and  earnest  living.  The  third  member 
of  the  party  was  a  girl  of  fifteen,  not  especially 
pretty,  but  comely  with  health,  and  with  an 
aggressive  poise  of  her  head  that  spoke  volumes 
for  her  character.  In  one  hand  she  carried  a 
caddy  bag,  and  a  bow  and  a  bundle  of  arrows ;  in 
the  other  was  a  heavy  suit-case. 

"  Thank  you,  no.  I  always  carry  my  own 
things,"  she  said,  as  the  taller  of  the  men  tried 
to  relieve  her  of  a  part  of  her  burden. 

"  But  I  have  nothing  but  my  umbrella,"  he 
objected,  with  a  smile. 

"  I  can't  help  that.  If  I  am  going  to  have 
things,  it  is  my  place  to  look  out  for  them,"  she 
returned  uncompromisingly.  "  You  are  n't 
likely  to  wear  my  gowns  or  to  shoot  with  my 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  13 

arrows,  so  there  is  no  especial  reason  you  should 
carry  them." 

"  Only  my  own  satisfaction."  Then  he 
turned  to  his  other  companion.  "  The  five 
o'clock  is  gone,  Hal,  and  there  's  not  another 
train  till  seven,  so  we  shall  have  to  drive.  I  'm 
sorry;  but  it  is  the  best  we  can  do.  It  was 
disgusting  of  the  train  to  be  so  late." 

He  signalled  to  a  driver  and  gave  hrs 
orders. 

"  To  The  Savins.  By  the  back  road,  I  think. 
It  will  be  less  crowded,  and  we  can  make  better 
time,  that  way.  Now,  Peggy,  can  I  help  you 
in?" 

"  Yes,"  he  said,  as  they  were  rolling  swiftly 
along ;  "I  am  perfectly  happy.  Nathalie  is  all, 
and  even  more  than  I  imagined  her,  and  it 
seems  to  me  that  she  grows  more  beautiful, 
every  —  " 

The  horses  shied  with  a  violence  that  broke 
his  speech  in  two;  and  he  leaned  out  of  the 
carriage  to  discover  the  cause  of  the  driver's 
sudden  profanity.  A  heavy  wagon  just  ahead 
of  them  was  raising  a  cloud  of  dust  which 
thickened  the  air  and  blinded  him  with  the  sun- 
light that  streamed  across  it.  In  the  thickest 
of  the  dust,  a  dust-colored  beast  as  large  as  a 


14  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

calf  was  plunging  madly  about,  dragging  behind 
it  a  woman  with  sodden  skirts,  and  frowsy  hair 
lopping  sidewise  under  her  loosened  hat.  On 
the  curbstone,  a  knot  of  urchins  uttered  dis- 
passionate comments  upon  the  scene. 

"  What  is  it  ?  "  Peggy  demanded. 

"  I  can't  make  out.  It 's  some  sort  of  a  street 
show ;  possibly  a  dancing  bear.  Horses  always 
shy  at  them." 

But  Peggy  shook  her  head. 

"  It 's  too  light  for  a  bear.  Maybe  it 's  Uncle 
Tom's  Cabin.  They  generally  have  a  street 
parade." 

The  carriage  passed  on  for  a  few  yards.  Sud- 
denly an  arm  waved  wildly,  and  the  air  was 
cleft  with  a  cry,  — 

"Mac!    Mac!    Wait  for  me!    Mac!" 

"  By  Jove,  it 's  Nathalie !  "  And  he  was  out 
of  the  carriage  with  a  bound. 

Side  by  side,  and  breathless  with  mutual 
explanation,  they  came  up  to  the  carriage,  with 
Sophia  Smith  trudging  demurely  along  under 
Mac's  strong  hand.  Peggy  turned  upon  her 
sister  the  stony  eye  of  disfavor. 

"  Nathalie  Arterburn !  " 

"  Holden,"  Mac  corrected  her. 

"  Well,  Holden,  then.    Of  course  I  knew  you 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  15 

were  married,  else  you  would  n't  be  here.  But 
do  you  know  how  you  look  ? " 

"I  —  I  rather  think  I  do,"  Nathalie  said 
wearily,  as  Mac  handed  her  into  the  carriage. 

Peggy  drew  her  skirt  aside  and  made  a  pro- 
tecting barrier  of  caddy  bag. 

"  I  hope  there  's  a  bath-tub  at  The  Savins," 
she  said  tartly.  "  I  begin  to  think  we  all  may 
need  it.  Mac  Holden,  you  aren't  going  to 
stuff  that  creature  in  here  ?  " 

He  laughed  at  her  accent  of  despair. 

"Unless  you  would  like  to  lead  her  home," 
he  suggested. 

Peggy  dropped  back  into  her  corner. 

"  Well,  of  all  the  performances !  "  she  said 
slowly.  "  Next  time,  I  '11  plan  to  travel  by 
myself." 


16  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 


CHAPTEE    TWO 

"  T  T  ARRY  ARTERBTJRK" 

JL  JL  Harry  came  out  of  a  brown  study 
and  turned  to  face  his  young  sister. 

"  Peggy  Arterburn  ? "  he  responded  inter- 
rogatively. 

She  frowned. 

"  I  do  wish  you  could  remember  that  my 
name  is  Margaret,"  she  observed. 

"  What 's  the  use  of  remembering  a  name 
that  does  n't  fit  ?  " 

"  But  it  does  fit  me ;  that  is,  in  my  better 
moments,"  she  replied  pensively. 

In  spite  of  himself,  her  brother  laughed. 
Then  he  controlled  his  merriment.  It  was  one 
of  Peggy's  idiosyncrasies  never  to  allow  herself 
to  be  laughed  at. 

"  You  need  n't  sit  and  smirk  at  me,"  she 
complained.  "  It 's  not  the  way  you  would 
treat  Nathalie.  Now  it 's  my  turn.  She  is  all 
married  off,  and  I  'm  grown  up.  If  I  have  to 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  17 

be  here,  all  this  summer,  I  do  wish  you  'd  treat 
me  with  a  little  respect." 

At  her  words,  his  face  changed. 

"  Have  to  be  here,  Peggy !  Don't  you  love 
to  be  here  ?  " 

"  That 's  just  what  I  wanted  to  talk  to  you 
about,"  she  said  flatly.  "  No." 

"Why  not?" 

"  Because  I  don't  fit  in  anywhere.  I  'm  like 
a  stray  cat  in  a  dog  show:  everybody  larger 
than  I  am,  and  nobody  quite  of  my  kind,"  she 
returned  shrewdly. 

Tossing  aside  the  magazine  which  the  deep- 
ening twilight  had  rendered  useless,  Harry 
Arterburn  rose,  crossed  the  veranda,  and  paused 
beside  his  young  sister.  For  a  moment,  he 
studied  her  wilful,  spirited,  discontented  face, 
while  »it  slowly  dawned  upon  him  that,  without 
his  having  at  all  realized  it,  little  Peggy  had 
changed  from  a  simple,  fractious  child  into 
a  maidenhood  of  endless  and  contradictory 
possibilities. 

"  Let 's  go  for  a  little  walk,  Peggy,"  he  sug- 
gested, when  the  moment  was  ended. 

His  accent  was  respectfully  grave,  and,  more- 
over, exercise  was  always  welcome  to  Peggy. 
Side  by  side,  the  brother  and  sister  sauntered 
2 


18  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

across  the  lawn  and  down  the  street,  among  the 
shadows  that  lay  heavy  under  the  elm  trees. 
At  the  gate,  Harry  turned  to  look  back. 

"  What  an  ideal  home  it  is !  "  he  said  slowly. 

His  sister's  eyes  rested  upon  the  two  figures 
dimly  visible  in  the  darkest  corner  of  the  ve- 
randa, and  there  came  a  ring  of  mockery  into 
her  tone. 

"  If  I  had  anything  to  do  with  it,  though, 
I  *d  change  the  name  and  call  it  The  Spoon- 
holder,"  she  responded. 

He  laughed. 

"  Perhaps.  But  what  can  you  expect,  only 
four  weeks  from  their  wedding  day  ?  " 

"  Oh,  it 's  not  just  them ;  it 's  the  whole 
establishment,"  she  answered,  with  a  hostile 
sniff.  "  Of  course  I  expected  they  would  be 
intolerable.  But,  just  across  the  fence,  Mrs. 
Farrington  and  her  husband  are  as  bad  as  Mac 
and  Nathalie.  One  would  think  that,  with  a 
grown-up  daughter  and  all  the  love-stories  she 
has  written,  she  might  know  better.  And  Mrs. 
Barrett  is  only  four  houses  away,  going  to  spend 
the  summer  there;  and  now  honestly,  Hal," 
she  dropped  her  voice  to  an  accusing  murmur; 
"  I  saw  her  and  Mr.  Barrett  holding  hands  on 
their  front  veranda,  last  night." 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  19 

"  You  don't  say  so !  "  His  tone  echoed  her 
own.  "  Well,  let 's  us  hold  hands  now." 

Defiantly  she  stuck  her  hands  into  the  side 
pockets  of  her  short  blue  jacket. 

"  I  don't  do  that  sort  of  thing.  I  'm  going 
to  be  an  old  maid." 

"  So  glad.  Then  you  can  be  the  companion 
of  my  declining  years,  Peggy." 

She  eyed  him  distrustfully;  then  she  edged 
a  trifle  nearer  to  his  side.  Nevertheless,  she 
said  shortly,  — 

"  I  thought  you  'd  live  with  Nathalie." 

"  She  has  Mac." 

"  But  she  can  have  you,  too." 

"  Better  not,"  he  said,  with  sudden  gravity. 

"  Then  what  are  you  doing  here  ? "  she 
queried. 

He  made  no  answer,  but  walked  on,  with  his 
steady  blue  eyes  fixed  on  the  stripe  of  concrete 
ahead  of  him.  Out  of  the  corners  of  her  own 
eyes,  Peggy  watched  him  furtively.  Then,  sud- 
denly repenting  of  her  late  strictures,  ,she  took 
her  hand  out  of  her  pocket  and  stuck  it  into  the 
curve  of  his  elbow. 

"  Hal,  'fess  up,"  she  said  quickly.  "  Don't 
you  feel  lonesome  here  ?  I  know  you  do ;  I  know 
you  miss  feeling  that  Nathalie  is  yours.  I  've 


20  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

some  sense,  even  if  I  am  nobody  but  Peggy ;  and 
I  know  she  has  made  up  your  life,  the  last  three 
or  four  years.  Now  she  belongs  to  Mac,  and 
you  've  come  here  just  to  have  the  satisfaction 
of  seeing  him  take  possession.  It  is  n't  fun  to 
you,  not  the  least  bit." 

"  No,"  he  assented ;  "  it  is  n't.  But  how  did 
you  know  ?  " 

"  Common  sense,  I  suppose,"  she  replied 
shortly.  "  But  it 's  an  awful  place  here  for  a 
lone  orphan,  Hal.  Everybody  else  belongs  to 
somebody  in  particular,  and  they  all  belong  to 
that  dear  old  Dr.  McAlister.  He  is  a  dear; 
but  I  am  just  as  afraid  of  him  as  if  he  were 
Gabriel,  horn  and  halo  and  all.  Angelic  people 
always  terrify  me." 

"Afraid  of  Dr.  McAlister?" 

"  Yes.  You  are  n't,  though,  of  course. 
You  've  a  taint  of  the  angelic  in  you,  too,  from 
all  accounts.  But  they  all  adore  him  and  each 
other.  What 's  more,  they  have  a  little  adora- 
tion left  over  for  you.  I  'm  the  odd  one,  like 
a  person  left  on  the  outside  in  a  ring  play.  I 
believe  I  '11  drop  the  handkerchief  to  that  nice 
Mr.  Hubert.  He  probably  would  say,  '  Go 
away,  bad  little  girl.  You  are  n't  playing  in 
my  game.' '  She  paused  for  breath;  then  she 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  21 

asked  abruptly,  "  Hal,  do  you  truly  miss  Na- 
thalie so  much  ? " 

"  Yes,"  he  said,  after  a  pause.  "  More  than 
I  had  any  idea  I  could  do.  But  I  am  going  to 
stop  it." 

"How?" 

"  Shutting  my  teeth  and  taking  the  dose  like 
a  man.  Nathalie  belongs  to  Mac  Holden  now. 
He  ought  to  stand  first,  and  I  'm  glad  he  does. 
Only  —  " 

"  Only  it  leaves  you  without  a  chum.  You  '11 
have  to  take  a  new  one." 

"  There  will  never  be  another  Nathalie,"  he 
said  slowly. 

She  put  her  hand  in  her  pocket  again  and 
laughed.  Her  voice  was  a  bit  clearer,  as  she 
answered,  — 

"  Then  you  '11  have  to  take  up  with  an 
inferior  quality ;  that 's  all.  As  for  me,  I  'm 
going  to  weigh  the  merits  of  Sophia  Smith  and 
Mr.  Hubert.  He  is  more  restful;  but  she  has 
a  better  sense  of  fun.  What  is  the  reason  he 
never  married,  Harry  ?  " 

"  Years  ago,  Mac  told  me,  he  was  engaged, 
and  the  girl  died.  Since  then  he  has  been  —  " 
He  hesitated  for  the  right  word. 

Peggy  supplied  it. 


22  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

"  A  confirmed  old  bachelor.  Well,  I  wish 
there  were  more  like  him.  He  's  neat  without 
being  finicky,  and  set  without  being  cranky.  If 
I  were  twice  as  old,  I  would  set  my  cap  at  him. 
It  would  n't  do  a  bit  of  good,  though.  He  has 
just  two  ideas,  his  father  and  Mrs.  Farring- 
ton.  I  don't  believe  it  has  dawned  on  him  yet 
that  the  world  holds  an  Arterburn.  He's  as  dear 
as  can  be,  when  he  meets  me  at  the  table,  and 
always  looks  out  that  I  get  a  crusty  muffin ;  but 
if  you  came  on  him  suddenly  and  asked  the 
name  of  the  girl  with  the  big  nose  and  the  blue 
clo'es,  he  could  n't  tell  you  for  the  life  of  him." 

She  lapsed  into  a  silence  which  her  brother 
was  too  absorbed  in  himself  to  break.  Then 
she  began  again. 

"  Hal,  it  is  great  fun  to  kick  against  the 
pricks  now  and  then." 

"  Yes." 

She  frowned,  and  withdrew  to  the  other  edge 
of  the  walk. 

"  You  have  n't  heard  a  word  I  Ve  been  say- 
ing," she  protested. 

He  roused  himself  guiltily. 

"  Yes,  truly  I  have,  Peggy." 

"  What  was  the  last  thing  I  said  ? " 

"  That  I  'd  have  to  take  a  new  chum." 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  23 

"  Oh,  Harry !  You  are  n't  any  use  at  all. 
Why  can't  you  listen,  when  I  'm  half  desper- 
ate?" 

This  time,  he  came  completely  out  of  his 
reverie  and  stared  at  her  in  surprise. 

"  Desperate,  Peggy  ?     What 's  the  matter  ?  " 

"  I  tell  you  I  'm  kicking  against  the  pricks." 

"  What  pricks  ?  " 

"  Everything.  You,  and  The  Savins,  and  the 
whole  McAlister  tribe." 

"  What  have  we  all  done  ?  " 

"  Nothing." 

"  Then  what 's  the  matter  ?  " 

"  That 's  the  matter.  You  're  all  so  perfect 
that  you  exasperate  me.  It 's  a  heavenly  place, 
and  you  're  heavenly  people ;  but  I  'm  no  angel, 
and  now  and  then  I  'd  like  another  sinner  to 
play  with." 

"  But  you  have  n't  been  used  to  sinners,  as 
a  rule." 

"  Yes,  I  have,"  she  persisted.  "  Cousin 
Eudora  was  a  righteous  woman  and  a  Christian 
Scientist;  but  she  was  a  sinner  by  comparison 
with  this  community.  She  used  to  say  '  pesky  ' 
and  slap  the  cat.  There  's  always  some  comfort 
to  be  gained,  when  old  people  get  vicious.  You 
feel  as  if  you  weren't  quite  so  hopeless,  yourself. 


24  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

But  here !  Fancy  Mr.  Hubert  slapping  Sophia 
Smith!" 

She  laughed,  but  her  voice  was  not  quite 
steady.  As  they  passed  a  street  light,  her  brother 
looked  down  at  her  face,  and  he  was  surprised 
at  its  flush  and  at  the  trouble  in  her  gray  eyes. 

"  Peggy,"  he  said,  as  he  took  her  arm  and 
drew  it  through  his  own,  just  as  he  had  so  often 
done  with  Nathalie ;  "  I  was  feeling  blue,  to- 
night, but  I  believe  you  're  bluer.  Let 's  match 
up  the  dye.  In  a  sense  I  Ve  lost  Nathalie,  and 
not  all  The  Savinses  in  the  world  can  make  up 
for  it.  Now,  what 's  your  grievance  ?  " 

"  That  I  never  had  anybody  to  lose." 

"  Well,  try  me,"  he  suggested. 

She  eyed  him  a  little  defiantly. 

"  Are  you  taking  me  Jack-at-a-pinch  ?  "  she 
demanded. 

"  No." 

"  Do  you  want  me  for  a  chum  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  Then  why  did  n't  you  say  so  sooner  ?  " 

"  Because  —  because  I  never  really  knew 
you,  Peggy." 

"  You  might  have  done,  you  had  plenty  of 
chance.  Besides,  are  you  sure  you  know  me 
now?" 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  25 

"  No." 

Something  in  the  answer  pleased  her.  She 
followed  it  up  with  another  question,  — 

"  Have  you  any  idea  that  I  '11  ever  take 
Nathalie's  place  with  you  ?  " 

He  hesitated. 

"  No ;    I  have  n't,"  he  said  honestly,  at  last. 

She  nodded  to  herself. 

"  No ;  you  have  n't.  Harry  Arterburn,  I 
never  would  have  forgiven  you,  if  you  had 
fibbed  then.  Most  people  would.  As  it  is,  if 
you  want  to  patch  up  some  kind  of  an  intimacy, 
I  'm  willing.  You  probably  won't  like  me ; 
I  'm  not  a  ^bit  like  Nathalie.  But  honestly, 
Hal,  I  'm  not  half  as  bad  as  I  seem." 

Under  cover  of  an  arching  birch  tree,  he  put 
his  arm  around  her  and  drew  her  to  his  side. 
She  wriggled  out  of  his  grasp. 

"  No ;  I  'm  not  ready  for  that.  You  don't 
mean  it  yet,  and  I  'd  rather  you  saved  it  up  till 
it  counts  for  a  little  more.  I  '11  fight  for  you, 
Hal,  fight  with  my  fists ;  but  —  "  her  voice 
dropped  a  little  sadly ;  "  but  I  'm  afraid  I  'm 
not  one  of  the  hug-gy  kind.  I  'm  not  Nathalie, 
you  know." 

That  same  night,  as  Harry  Arterburn  sat  by 
the  open  window  of  his  bedroom,  he  went  over 


26  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

the  talk  in  detail.  At  the  end  of  it  all,  he 
echoed  Peggy's  own  words.  She  was  not  Na- 
thalie; no,  nor  ever  would  be.  Nevertheless, 
he  found  himself  wondering  whether,  in  way- 
ward, independent  Peggy,  Peggy  who  described 
herself  as  not  being  of  "  the  hug-gy  kind,"  he 
might  not  in  time  find  a  comrade  who  in  a 
measure  would  atone  for  the  loss  of  Nathalie. 

The  intimacy  between  Harry  and  Nathalie 
Arterburn  had  been  a  peculiar  one.  Parted  by 
Harry's  student  life  and  by  the  inevitable 
breaking-up  of  their  home  which  had  followed 
the  death  of  their  parents,  they  had  come  to- 
gether again  when  Nathalie  was  fifteen  and 
Harry  eleven  years  her  senior.  For  the  next 
four  years,  they  had  been  inseparable.  Side 
by  side,  they  had  gone  through  the  wear  and  tear 
of  housekeeping  on  a  tiny  income,  through  ill- 
ness and  anxiety,  each  one  the  stronger  from 
being  able  to  rely  upon  the  complete  under- 
standing and  sympathy  of  the  other. 

Then  the  clouds  had  thickened.  But,  just 
as  Harry  Arterburn  was  bravely  facing  a  future 
of  weakened  health,  facing  the  double  anxiety 
for  himself  and  his  sister,  that  sister  had  be- 
come the  promised  bride  of  Dr.  McAlister 
Holden,  his  own  most  intimate  friend.  No 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  27 

nobler  type  of  man  could  have  been  sought. 
Nathalie  Holden  would  have  all  the  love,  all 
the  luxury  that  a  girl  could  desire,  and  it  had 
seemed  to  Harry  Arterburn  that,  one  twilight 
in  early  June,  he  had  given  up  his  sister  with- 
out a  regret.  Later  he  learned  his  mistake. 

Peggy,  meanwhile,  had  been  more  a  matter  of 
theory  than  of  fact,  in  so  far  as  his  life  was 
concerned.  Two  years  old  when  he  started  for 
college,  she  had  passed  her  tenth  birthday  be- 
fore he  had  once  more  come  in  contact  with 
her.  Then,  for  a  year,  he  had  tried  to  keep  the 
little  family  together  in  New  York.  The  one 
year  had  proved  the  futility  of  the  attempt. 
Peggy  and  her  two  brothers  had  been  sent  to  the 
care  of  an  old  cousin  in  the  country,  and,  since 
that  time,  he  had  seen  her  but  rarely.  To  his 
mind,  she  was  still  the  fretful,  fractious  child 
who  had  resisted  his  discipline  and  rebelled  at 
his  needful  economies.  For  the  rest,  he  had 
paid  her  bills,  seen  her  at  least  once  a  year,  and 
worried  about  her  without  ceasing. 

It  had  been  decided,  almost  as  a  matter  of 
course,  that  Harry  was  to  spend  his  summer  at 
The  Savins.  Only  upon  condition  that  his 
home  should  be  with  them,  had  Mac  and  Na- 
thalie been  married,  that  June.  The  wedding 


28  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

had  been  the  occasion  for  the  gathering  of  the 
entire  McAlister  clan,  and  Mrs.  Barrett's  house 
had  swarmed  with  Mac's  adoring  relatives,  who 
one  and  all  took  Nathalie,  and  then  Harry,  into 
the  family  embrace.  Then  Mrs.  Holden  had 
gone  back  to  her  Rocky  Mountain  home,  and 
had  carried  off  Mrs.  McAlister  in  triumph  with 
her.  Such  an  opportunity  was  not  to  be  lost. 
Dr.  McAlister  was  too  old  to  undertake  so  long 
a  journey ;  but  Mac  and  Nathalie  would  spend 
an  ideal  honeymoon  summer  with  him  in  the 
old  family  home,  and  Mrs.  McAlister  wisely 
felt  that  a  honeymoon  should  have  the  fewest 
possible  feminine  eyes  turned  upon  it. 

She  reckoned  entirely  without  Peggy,  whom 
Mac,  in  the  fulness  of  his  joy,  had  bidden  to 
spend  the  summer  with  them. 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  29 


CHAPTER    THREE 

"  1VTAC' dear!" 

1 V  J.  Instantly  Mac  rose  and  stood,  hat  in 
hand,  under  his  lady's  window. 

"  Yes,  dearest." 

"  Sh !  "  This  time  the  voice  was  even  more 
faint.  "  Do  be  careful.  Peggy  may  hear  us." 

"  What  if  she  does  ?  "  Mac  asked,  in  a  defiant 
whisper. 

"  She  laughs  at  us  so.  But,  Mac,  we  can't 
help  it ;  can  we  ?  " 

"  I  don't  want  to  help  it."  On  Mac's  fore- 
head the  veins  stood  out  distressfully,  in  his 
efforts  to  make  his  stealthy  whisper  carry  up 
to  the  closed  blinds  above. 

From  inside  the  blinds,  there  came  a  laugh 
softer  even  than  the  whisper.  Then  the  voice 
came  again. 

"  Then  you  are  n't  sorry  ?  " 

"  Sorry,  dearest !  Come  down  and  let  me 
show  you  how  sorry  I  am." 


30  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

"  I  can't ;  I  'in  busy.  But  I  heard  you  down 
there,  and  I  did  just  want  to  speak  to  you." 

"  That 's  a  dear  girl.  Come  down  as  soon  as 
you  can." 

"What  for?" 

"  To  keep  me  company."  Mac's  accent 
belied  his  robust  dimensions;  but  much  must 
be  forgiven  to  a  man  just  coming  through  his 
honeymoon. 

"  By  and  by.  Meanwhile,  you  might  throw 
me  a  kiss." 

With  a  look  of  ineffable  content,  Mac  obeyed. 
From  inside  the  blind  there  was  an  answering 
sound. 

"  We  are  happy ;    are  n't  we,  Mac  ?  " 

"  Very,  dearest." 

"  But  I  wish  you  would  tell  me  just  one 
thing;  tell  it  truly  as  truly  can  be." 

"What  now?" 

"  Don't  you  ever  feel,  Mac,  as  if  you  had 
married  the  whole  Arterburn  family  ? " 

"  Never." 

In  its  fervor  the  whisper  became  unduly  loud, 
and  it  was  promptly  rebuked. 

"  Sh !  Sh,  Mac !  But  I  was  so  afraid  you 
would  think  so." 

He  shook  his  head,  while  the  glaring  sun 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  31 

above  him  turned  his  hair  to  the  likeness  of 
burnished  gold.  Tall,  strong,  manly,  he  looked 
a  veritable  Viking  as  he  stood  there. 

"  No,  dearest ;  I  have  married  only  one 
Arterburn." 

"  And  she  ?  "  The  window  blind  stirred 
slightly. 

"  And  she  is  the  girl  above  me  now."  Mac's 
tone  was  almost  reverential. 

With  a  flap  the  blind  flew  open,  and  Peggy 
responded  composedly,  — 

"  I  am  glad  to  know  it.  I  had  n't  suspected 
it  before." 

"  Peggy,  you  wretch !    Where  is  Nathalie  ?  " 

"  Down  there." 

She  pointed  across  an  open  stretch  of  lawn 
to  the  spot  where  Nathalie,  with  Harry  at  her 
side,  was  strolling  towards  the  house,  her  hands 
full  of  late  daisies.  With  an  indignant  glance 
up  at  the  window,  Mac  turned  away  and  went 
striding  off  in  search  of  his  wife.  Peggy,  mean- 
while, picked  up  her  bow  and  arrows,  remark- 
ing sagely,  as  she  did  so, — 

"  There  's  nothing  so  idiotic  as  a  man  in  love. 
I  wonder  what  Dr.  Holden's  patients  would 
have  said,  if  they  'd  heard  him  cooing  l  Dearest ' 
in  a  stage  whisper.  Next  time,  maybe  he  will 


32  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

find  out  whom  he  's  talking  to,  before  he  gets 
quite  so  loving.  Oh,  but  did  n't  he  look  hand- 
some when  he  finally  lost  his  temper !  It 's 
becoming  to  big  men  to  rage;  little  men  are 
always  funny  when  they  get  in  a  tantrum." 

She  paused  on  the  back  veranda  long  enough 
to  unchain  Sophia  Smith  who  lay  snoozing  on 
the  old  couch  which  Mac  had  provided  for  her 
benefit.  Then,  with  her  bow  in  one  hand  and 
the  end  of  Sophia's  chain  in  the  other,  she 
crossed  the  lawn  and  went  up  the  hill  beyond. 
Sophia,  her  eyes  still  heavy  with  the  sleepiness 
of  puppyhood,  trudged  solemnly  at  her  heels. 

The  Savins  measured  itself  by  acres,  and, 
save  for  the  hill  on  which  the  house  stood,  it 
was  left  largely  to  the  hand  of  nature.  Winter- 
green  and  checkerberries  throve  on  rocky  ledges 
and  in  mossy  hollows,  and  daisies  yellow  and 
white,  scarlet  columbines,  white  anemones,  and 
the  dainty  blue  quaker-ladies,  each  in  its  season, 
spotted  the  broad  stretches  of  grassland.  Above 
it  all,  and  the  glory  of  it  all,  were  the  trees, 
huge  oaks  and  huger  chestnuts,  slender  birches 
and  sturdy  hickories,  their  branches  a  breeding 
ground  for  all  the  birds  of  the  region.  On  one 
side,  the  town  had  edged  close  to  its  skirts ;  on 
the  other,  far  to  the  westward,  the  eye  rested 


)l 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  33 

pleasantly  upon  distant  hills  whose  open  fields 
were  dotted  here  and  there  with  an  occasional 
farmhouse. 

Peaceful  and  quiet  under  the  dappling  sun- 
beams lay  the  western  slope  of  The  Savins. 
Peaceful  and  quiet  on  the  hillside  lay  a  tall 
man,  his  brown,  gray-sprinkled  hair  resting 
on  a  grass  mat,  and  a  volume  of  George  Mere- 
dith held  in  the  air,  above  his  eyes.  Peace  and 
quiet  vanished  speedily,  however.  With  a  yelp 
of  recognition,  Sophia  Smith  came  plunging 
towards  him,  stumbled  in  the  tall  grass,  and, 
unable  to  check  her  momentum,  finished  her 
rush  on  her  haunches,  with  her  tongue  lolling 
out  foolishly  from  her  seven-inch  jaws.  At  the 
end  of  the  chain  there  also  came  Peggy,  her 
hat  awry,  one  sleeve  ripped  from  its  arm-hole, 
and  her  long  bow  tripping  her  up  at  every 
step. 

"  Well,  Diana  ?  "  The  man  sat  up  hastily, 
and  rescued  a  corner  of  The  Egoist  from 
Sophia's  teeth. 

"Diana  had  a  stag;  this  is  a  staghound," 
she  said,  as,  yielding  to  a  jerk  in  the  reverse 
direction,  she  rolled  over  backwards  on  the 
grass. 

"  Let  me  take  her." 

3 


34  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

"  Careful !  She  '11  get  away  from  you,"  she 
cautioned. 

He  smiled. 

"  I  was  stroke  of  my  crew,  Miss  Peggy." 

"  Yes ;  but  that  was  a  good  while  ago,"  she 
reminded  him,  with  unflattering  directness. 

"  Alas,  yes !  Still,  I  think  I  can  hold  Sophia. 
Better  yet,  suppose  I  moor  her  to  a  tree  ?  "  He 
suited  the  action  to  the  word.  Then  he  came 
back  to  Peggy's  side.  "  Wherefore  the  bow  ?  " 
he  asked. 

"  To  shoot  with." 

His  eyes  twinkled. 

"  Is  your  appetite  for  venison  or  bear  ?  " 

"Neither,"  she  said  shortly.  "I  shoot  at  a 
target." 

"  And  where  is  the  target  ?  Or  did  you  mean 
to  use  Sophia  ?  " 

"  I  have  n't  any  target  yet.  I  Ve  only  just 
bought  my  bow."  The  accent  was  still  more 
curt. 

He  saw  that  his  bantering  tone  displeased 
her,  and  he  spoke  gravely. 

"  Is  this  the  latest  fad  ?  " 

"  Not  yet.    It 's  going  to  be." 

"  Are  you  a  prophet  ?  " 

"  No,  not  exactly,"  she  said,  thawing  a  little 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  35 

in  response  to  his  more  respectful  tone.  "  I 
read  in  one  of  the  New  York  Sunday  papers 
that  archery  was  to  be  the  coming  sport.  I  was 
too  little  to  play  golf  when  it  began,  so  I 
would  n't  learn.  I  do  hate  to  come  in  on  the 
tail  of  things,  Mr.  McAlister.  This  time,  I 
thought  I  would  ride  on  the  cow-catcher." 

In  spite  of  himself,  Hubert  McAlister  laughed 
at  the  mixture  of  her  metaphors. 

"  A  successful  journey  to  you.  And  can  you 
shoot  ? " 

"  Oh,  yes ;    anybody  can." 

"  I  'm  afraid  I  could  n't." 

"  Yes,  you  could.  Shooting  is  easy  enough. 
It  is  the  hitting  something  that  is  the  hard 
part." 

"  Yes,  I  should  —  Did  you  drop  an  arrow  ? 
Sophia  is  eating  something  suspiciously  like 
one." 

Peggy  scrambled  to  her  feet ;  but  she  was  too 
late.  With  a  crunching  snap,  the  two  ends  of 
the  arrow  fell  apart,  and  Sophia  turned  her 
attention  to  a  tuft  of  grass. 

"  Oh,  Sophia !  How  could  you  ?  That  was 
my  very  best  arrow  of  the  whole  lot,"  Peggy 
admonished  her. 

With  the  heads  of  the  long  grass  resting  in 


36  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

her  stomach  and  the  earthy  roots  mingling 
with  her  stiff  beard,  Sophia  surveyed  them 
mournfully.  Then,  with  a  gulp,  the  roots 
vanished. 

"  She's  worse  than  a  goat,"  Peggy  said  venge- 
fully,  as  she  jerked  herself  down  again  at  Mr. 
McAlister's  side.  "  She  has  swallowed  half  the 
netting  of  a  screen  door  since  lunch.  At  least 
it 's  gone,  and  we  can't  find  it  without  an 
autopsy.  This  having  a  thoroughbred  dog  that 
you  can't  whip  —  " 

"  Why  can't  you  ?  " 

"  Mrs.  Barrett  told  Nathalie  so.  It  might 
break  her  spirit.  Nathalie  believes  it ;  she  just 
pat-a-cakes  her  and  calls  her  '  oo  naughty  dirl.' 
I  '11  risk  her  spirit.  She  has  n't  any,  anyway ; 
but,  if  she  were  mine,  I  'd  run  the  risk  of  crack- 
ing it." 

There  was  silence,  for  a  minute.  Then  Peggy 
spoke  again. 

"  And  now  we  are  spoiling  your  reading.  I 
did  n't  know  you  were  at  home." 

"  Saturday  afternoon,"  he  reminded  her. 

"  "Why  is  a  lawyer  like  a  schoolboy  ? "  she 
propounded  gravely.  "  Well,  I  '11  leave  you  to 
your  book." 

"  But  you  were  going  to  shoot." 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  37 

"  No  matter.  Sophia  has  wrecked  my  best 
arrow  and  my  good  temper.  But  I  never  sup- 
posed I  'd  find  you  here.  Nathalie  made  me 
solemnly  promise  I  would  n't  shoot  nearer  the 
house  than  the  top  of  the  hill  up  here,  and  that 
I  would  always  aim  out  over  the  fence.  Na- 
thalie is  so  dreadfully  fussy.  Still,  I  suppose 
she  didn't  want  me  shooting  any  of  you ;  though, 
with  two  doctors  in  the  house,  it  might  not  be 
so  very  serious." 

Her  tone  was  so  dispassionate  that  again  Mr. 
McAlister  laughed. 

"  Did  Mrs.  Barrett  come  over  after  lunch  ?  " 
he  asked. 

"  Yes,  just  for  a  minute.  She  hurried  back 
again,  to  make  sure  that  Rex's  room  was  in 
order.  To  hear  her  talk,  you  would  think  he  was 
the  King  of  Siam  at  the  very  least." 

"  Well  ? " 

"  Well,  he  is  n't.  He  's  nothing  but  a  sopho- 
more," she  said  uncompromisingly. 

"  That 's  where  you  're  dead  wrong,  Peggy 
Ann,"  remarked  a  cheerful  voice  from  the  rear. 
"  Howdy,  Uncle  Hubert  ?  Peggy,  behold  the 
junior !  " 

With  an  assumption  of  grown-up  indifference, 
she  rose  and  held  out  her  hand. 


38  NATHALIE'S  SISTER' 

"  How  do  you  do,  Kingsley  ? "  she  said 
decorously. 

Kingsley  Barrett's  gray  eyes  lighted  mirth- 
fully. 

"  Well,  by  Jove,  is  this  little  Peggy  Arter- 
burn  ?  How  you  've  grown,  my  dear !  "  he 
returned. 

Her  spine  stiffened,  and  her  chin  rose  in  the 
air. 

"  Yes,  I  am  Miss  Arterburn,"  she  assented 
haughtily. 

"  Worse  luck !  I  shall  never  forgive  Mac  for 
gobbling  up  Nathalie.  Is  Hal  here  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  How  is  the  dear  fellow  ?  " 

"  Very  well,  thank  you." 

"  No  more  collapses  ?  "  In  his  eagerness, 
Kingsley  quite  forgot  his  intention  of  teasing 
the  tall  girl  before  him. 

"  I  have  n't  heard  of  any." 

Kingsley's  eyes  narrowed. 

"  Well,  you  'd  have  been  rather  likely  to,"  he 
observed.  Then,  dropping  down  on  the  grass, 
he  turned  to  his  uncle.  "  Everything  all  right 
at  The  Savins  ?  " 

"  Yes,  righter  for  your  coming." 

"  You  can  just  bet  I  'm  glad  to  be  here.    A 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  39 

fine  scheme,  the  mater's  spending  the  summer 
up  here!  Quantuck  is  worn  thin  and  thread- 
bare, and  as  long  as  the  pater  could  n't  go  to 
Europe,  this  year,  The  Savins  is  the  spot  for  me. 
What  do  you  think  of  it,  Peggy  Ann  ?  " 

There  was  no  answer.  Kingsley's  lips 
twitched,  as  he  saw  the  studiously  averted  face. 
Pulling  up  a  handful  of  grass,  he  flung  it  into 
her  lap,  while  he  repeated  his  question.  She 
gave  a  well-feigned  start  of  surprise. 

"  Oh,  were  you  speaking  to  me  ?  " 

"  I  did  myself  the  honor  to  mention  your 
name." 

She  saw  the  look  of  amusement  that  passed- 
between  uncle  and  nephew,  and  the  blood  rushed 
into  her  cheeks. 

"  You  did  not,"  she  contradicted  explosively. 
"  You  called  me  Peggy  Ann.  My  name  is 
Margaret." 

With  perfect  deliberation,  Kingsley  turned 
himself  about  until  he  faced  her. 

"Who'd  'a'  thunk  it?"  he  remarked  com- 
posedly at  length. 

Peggy's  dignity  was  crushing,  as  she  rose  and 
freed  Sophia  Smith  who  had  long  been  cast- 
ing covetous  glances  upon  the  scarlet-coated 
Egoist. 


40  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

"  I  think  it  is  time  I  went  back  to  the  house," 
she  said,  with  as  much  calmness  as  was  com- 
patible with  the  antics  of  Sophia,  already  play- 
ing tag  with  herself  in  the  tall  grass. 

"  Sorry.  I  'd  advise  you  to  unwind  yourself 
a  little  before  you  start,"  Kingsley  suggested. 

But  Mr.  McAlister  had  risen,  released  Peggy 
from  the  coils  of  the  chain  and  put  her  bow 
into  her  outstretched  hand. 

"  Thank  you,"  she  said,  with  a  gratitude 
which  was  not  altogether  unmixed  with  spite. 
"  It  is  always  a  comfort  to  meet  a  gentleman." 

Gravely  he  raised  his  cap,  just  as  Kingsley 
observed,  with  equal  gravity,  — 

"  I  knew  you  'd  be  glad  to  see  me,  Peggy 
Ann." 

She  nodded  to  Hubert  McAlister.  Then, 
without  a  glance  at  Kingsley,  still  prostrate  in 
the  grass,  she  moved  slowly  away.  Now  and 
then  she  stopped  short  and  bent  her  weight 
backward  upon  the  chain;  once  she  made  a 
swift  detour  to  one  side,  and  then  met  with 
some  difficulty  in  untangling  herself  from  a 
barberry  bush.  Nevertheless,  her  pace  was 
comparatively  steady  until  Sophia,  some  feet 
in  advance,  reached  the  crest  of  the  hill.  Then, 
inspired  by  the  sight  beyond,  Sophia  went 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  41 

plunging  away  down  the  slope,  dragging  Peggy, 
bow  and  all,  at  her  heels. 

"  But,  after  all,  Rex,"  his  uncle  said,  when 
they  had  found  their  voices  again ;  "  it  is  too 
bad  for  you  to  tease  her  so." 

"  Good  for  her,"  Kingsley  replied,  with  un- 
ruffled good  temper. 

"  I  'm  not  so  sure  of  that." 

Kingsley  hurled  a  stone  at  a  distant  tree 
trunk. 

"  You  have  n't  known  Peggy  'Ann  as  long  as 
I  have,  Uncle  Hubert." 

"  Perhaps  not.  I  've  known  her  long  enough 
to  discover  that  she  is  like  a  nettle,  and  stings 
at  a  rough  touch." 

"  That 's  why  I  'm  gripping  her.  If  I  go  at 
her  hard  enough,  she  '11  stop  stinging." 

"  I  don't  think  so." 

Kingsley  dropped  his  chin  on  his  clenched 
fists. 

"  Uncle  Hubert,  I  Ve  known  Peggy  Arter- 
burn  off  and  on  for  four  years.  She  is  smart 
as  a  steel  trap,  and  just  about  as  tender-hearted. 
Ralph  is  well  enough ;  but  all  the  real,  positive 
good  in  that  family  went  into  Nathalie  and  Hal. 
They  've  got  enough  for  a  dozen,  and,  at  that 
rate,  it  could  n't  be  expected  to  go  round.  If 


42  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

Peggy  Arterburn  ever  gets  to  where  she  is 
worthy  to  brush  the  dust  out  of  Nathalie's  skirt, 
she  will  astonish  me." 

Hubert  McAlister  rose  and  tucked  The  Egoist 
under  his  arm. 

"  Then  you  are  going  to  be  astonished,  Rex," 
he  said  quietly.  "  Now  come  and  find  your 
grandfather." 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  43 


CHAPTER  FOUR 

r\O  you  know,  Billy,"  Mrs.  Farrington 

JL^  said  to  her  husband,  one  night ;  "  I 
think  Babe  is  foredoomed  to  a  high  seat  in 
heaven,  after  all." 

"  Yes,  I  think  in  time  she  may  work  up  far 
enough  to  be  in  sight  of  us,"  Mr.  Farrington 
responded  amicably.  "  What  now  ?  " 

"  Keeping  open  house  to  the  rising  genera- 
tion, this  summer." 

Mr.  Farrington  nodded. 

"  It  is  a  good  deed.  Still,  Babe  owes  the 
world  a  few  good  deeds  to  atone  for  her  own 
childhood.  She  was  a  terror,  Ted." 

"  But  she  has  outgrown  it,"  his  wife  re- 
turned, with  sisterly  loyalty.  "  Babe  is  a  fine 
woman." 

"  I  know  it ;  and  yet,  curiously  enough,  she  's 
the  very  same  old  Babe  that  brandished  your 
pigtail  before  my  eyes  on  this  same  hearthstone. 
Ted,  does  it  ever  seem  as  if  I  had  spent  the  best 
part  of  two  years  on  my  back  ?  " 


44  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

She  crossed  the  room  to  his  side,  and  stood 
looking  down,  with  her  hand  on  his  shoulder. 
Mrs.  Theodora  Farrington  was  an  impressive 
woman;  nevertheless,  for  the  moment  her  im- 
pressiveness  was  lost  in.  an  infinite  gentleness. 

"  Yes,  Billy,  it  does.  I  love  to  remember 
those  days,  too.  They  prepared  the  way  for  all 
our  happy  years  together." 

Without  an  answering  word,  he  stretched  up 
his  hands  to  her  face. 

"  That  Peggy  is  a  character,"  he  remarked 
at  length,  with  a  complete  change  of  subject. 
"  What  do  you  think  of  the  girl,  Ted  ?  " 

"  Hubert  says  she  has  good  stuff  in  her ;  but 
Babe  abhors  her,"  Mrs.  Farrington  answered 
evasively. 

"  Set  a  thief  to  catch  a  thief.  I  '11  trust 
Babe's  judgment." 

"  They  are  a  good  deal  alike.  Peggy's  per- 
versities remind  me  of  Babe  at  her  age.  Still, 
I  suspect  Peggy  is  more  affectionate  than  Babe 
used  to  be." 

"  I  fail  to  see  it." 

"  That 's  because  you  are  a  man.  I  've  been 
there,  myself,  and  I  know.  When  Peggy  is  most 
cantankerous  is  just  the  time  when  she  is  most 
wishing  that  somebody  loved  her  to  distraction." 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  45 

Mr.  Farrington  laughed. 

"  How  she  must  love  Kex,  then !  " 

"  Poor  Peggy !  Rex  torments  the  life  out  of 
her.  I  really  don't  blame  her  for  resenting  it." 

"  He  would  stop,  if  she  took  it  a  little  more 
calmly." 

"  That 's  just  what  she  won't  do.  They  are 
like  flint  and  steel.  Perhaps,  when  Ursula 
comes,  he  may  give  Peggy  a  little  peace." 

"  In  other  words,  you  'd  sacrifice  Ursula  to 
save  Peggy.  When  do  they  get  here  ?  " 

"  To-morrow." 

Mr.  Farrington  drummed  idly  on  the  arm  of 
his  chair. 

"  How  did  Babe  happen  to  ask  them  ?  " 

Mrs.  Farrington  offered  the  explanation 
which  had  been  in  active  service  for  the  past 
forty  years. 

"  Sheer  Babe-ishness.  Because  there  was  no 
real  reason  she  should  do  it.  Have  n't  you 
learned  that  Babe's  blessings  fall  without  rhyme 
or  reason,  according  to  her  own  sweet  will  ?  It 's 
a  good  thing  that  Giff  has  an  enormous  income." 

"  Where  did  she  pick  them  up,  in  the  first 
place  ? " 

"  Via  Nathalie." 

"Nathalie?" 


46  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

"  Yes.  Babe  accumulated  the  Arterburns  for 
the  sake  of  Rex,  and  fell  in  love  with  them  on 
her  own  account.  Then  these  new-rich  Myerses 
imported  a  niece,  and  meanwhile  proved  to  be 
some  sort  of  a  connection  of  Harry  Arterburn. 
He  was  named  for  Mr.  Myers,  I  think;  and 
Mr.  Myers  benevolently  hired  him  as  tutor  for 
Ursula.  It 's  a  regular  House  That  Jack  Built. 
John  Myers  had  a  cousin,  Ursula  Thain.  Ur- 
sula had  a  tutor,  Harry  Arterburn.  Harry  had 
a  sister,  Nathalie,  and  Nathalie  had  a  friend, 
Babe  Barrett." 

"  Therefore  John  Myers  also  had  a  friend, 
Babe  Barrett."  Mr.  Farrington  summed  up 
the  situation  for  her. 

"  Yes,  Babe  was  wonderfully  good  to  them, 
after  Mr.  Myers  failed.  I  must  say  they  de- 
served it,  for  they  took  the  crash  superbly. 
Ursula  refused  to  go  home ;  she  has  stayed  with 
Mrs.  Myers,  all  winter  long,  and  I  suspect  that 
she  has  done  a  good  share  of  the  housework. 
Rex  has  been  helping  John  all  he  could,  and  the 
boy  has  supported  himself  and  made  a  good 
record  for  his  freshman  work." 

Her  husband  nodded  approvingly. 

"  That  is  the  kind  that  counts." 

"  It  is.    And  it  has  been  good  for  Rex  to  be 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  47 

thrown  with  some  one  who  can  show  him  the 
grinding  side  of  life.  From  all  accounts,  John 
has  changed  from  an  impossible  little  prig  to  a 
fellow  with  a  spine  of  his  own.  Then  Babe 
came  here  to  be  near  us,  this  summer.  She  de- 
clares that  the  house  is  quite  too  large  for  three 
people;  and,  the  day  after  she  was  settled, 
she  wrote  to  Mrs.  Myers,  demanding  John  and 
Ursula  for  the  entire  vacation." 

Mr.  Farrington  rose,  and  stood  with  his  back 
to  the  andirons. 

"  How  exactly  like  Babe !  "  he  commented 
deliberately. 

John  and  Ursula  came,  the  next  afternoon. 
Kingsley  met  them  at  the  station. 

"  By  Jove,  I  thought  you  'd  never  get  here !  " 
he  exclaimed,  as  he  seized  Ursula's  suit-case, 
and  gave  his  other  hand  to  the  boy  at  her  side. 
"  The  mater  would  have  come,  too ;  but  she 
stopped  at  home  to  brew  a  pudding  for  dinner, 
some  especial  kind  of  a  mess  that  nobody  else 
can  do  to  suit  her.  How  goes  it,  Ursula  ?  I 
must  say  you  look  blooming." 

"  So  I  am.  I  hope  Jack  will  bloom,  too.  He 
needs  a  treat  after  his  long  grind,  and  your 
mother  was  an  angel  to  ask  us.  How  is 
Nathalie?" 


48  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

"  Pretty  as  a  peach,  and  of  no  earthly  use  to 
anybody  but  Mac." 

Ursula  laughed. 

"She  has  it  hard?" 

"  You  bet  she  has !  Even  poor  old  Hal  is 
side-tracked,  and  the  joints  of  my  nose  have 
missed  connection  entirely.  Petti  jack,  with 
your  help,  I  '11  put  Mac  out  of  commission, 
before  the  fall  of  twilight." 

"  But  she  behaved  so  well  through  the  engage- 
ment," Ursula  said  thoughtfully. 

"  And  now  she  is  making  up  for  it.  She  and 
Mac  are  a  mixture  of  sugar  and  gum  arabic, 
sweet  and  sticky.  Petti  jack,  how  is  your  lady 
mother  ?  " 

"  Well,  and  superb." 

"  I  can  answer  for  the  last.  Next  to  the 
mater  and  Aunt  Ted,  she  is  the  strongest  woman 
I  know.  And  your  father  ?  " 

"  Well,  and  working  like  a  dog." 

"  Will  they  get  out  of  town,  this  summer  ?  " 

He  shook  his  head. 

"  I  'm  afraid  not.  I  feel  it 's  rather  beastly 
for  me  to  leave  them ;  but  they  insisted  —  " 

"  That 's  where  you  are  wise,"  Kingsley  in- 
terrupted. "  You  look  horridly  done  up,  and 
you  must  have  a  rest.  As  for  Ursula,  they 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  49 

could  n't  endure  her,  so  the  mater  took  her  off 
their  hands.  Now,  Petti  jack,  as  a  man  and  a 
sophomore,  heed  my  advice." 

"What  now?" 

"  Cast  your  conscience  to  the  winds,  forget 
your  family,  and  put  in  a  frivolous  summer. 
You  may  as  well.  We  Ve  got  you,  and  we  in- 
tend to  keep  you ;  so  you  'd  better  settle  down 
and  make  the  best  of  it." 

"  That 's  asking  a  good  deal  of  us,  Rex," 
Ursula  said  merrily. 

Kingsley  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"  There 's  always  Peggy,"  he  answered 
concisely. 

"  What  has  she  turned  into  ? "  Ursula 
questioned. 

This  time,  Kingsley's  answer  was  still  more 
concise. 

"  A  Tartar." 

Hubert  McAlister  sat  alone  on  the  veranda, 
that  night,  when  Kingsley  with  his  two  com- 
panions came  sauntering  across  the  lawn.  Over 
the  top  of  his  paper,  he  eyed  the  new-comers 
curiously.  His  glimpse  of  them  at  Mac's  wed- 
ding, a  month  before,  had  been  too  hasty  and 
too  impersonal  to  have  left  much  impression 
upon  his  mind.  Now  that  they  were  to  be  the 
4 


50  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

guests  of  his  sister  and  his  own  neighbors,  all 
summer  long,  he  found  himself  more  interested 
in  them.  Moreover,  Hubert  McAlister  had  a 
fashion  of  regaining  his  own  long-gone  boyhood 
by  association  with  the  boy  and  girl  acquaint- 
ances of  his  later  years. 

Something  in  the  appearance  of  John  Myers 
and  Ursula  Thain  pleased  him.  It  was  not 
altogether  John's  blond  face,  too  delicately 
handsome  for  a  boy  who  must  cut  his  own  way 
through  the  world;  it  was  not  entirely  the 
vigor  and  grace  of  Ursula  who,  brown  as  a 
gypsy,  was  of  a  type  that  leaves  far  prettier 
girls  lurking  in  unseen  corners.  If  only  by  way 
of  contrast,  both  in  coloring  and  vitality,  the 
two  cousins  were  good  to  watch.  But  Hubert 
McAlister,  middle-aged  bachelor  that  he  was, 
looked  deeper  than  that.  He  took  swift  note 
of  the  steadiness  of  John's  eyes,  of  his  close- 
shut  lips,  of  the  poise  of  his  head.  He  studied 
Ursula,  as  she  met  him  fearlessly,  yet  with  a 
girlish  modesty  that  he  had  found  too  rare  in 
the  girls  he  had  known  of  late  years. 

"  Where  is  Nathalie  ?  "  Kingsley  asked  ab- 
ruptly, breaking  in  upon  the  last  syllable  of  his 
uncle's  words  of  welcome. 

"  Over  the  hill.     She  and  Harry  and  Mac 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  51 

went  out  there,  not  ten  minutes  ago.  Nathalie 
told  me  that  you  were  to  be  sent  after  them,  if 
you  came." 

"  If  we  came !  I  like  that,"  Kingsley  pro- 
tested. "  We  only  waited  for  the  mater  to  ask 
half  a  thousand  questions,  and  to  make  sure  that 
Petti  jack  had  n't  taken  off  his  flannels.  She 
has  a  mistaken  notion  that  he  's  a  tender  plant ; 
but  he  is  n't.  It 's  just  a  mere  matter  of  com- 
plexion. Over  the  hill?  All  right.  Come 
along,  Ursula." 

"  Where  is  Peggy  ?  "  Ursula  inquired. 

"  Where  is  she,  Uncle  Hu  ?  " 

"  Out  on  the  back  lawn,  teaching  Sophia 
Smith  to  retrieve." 

"Well,  I'd  leave  her  there.  She's  out  of 
mischief,  and  Sophia  is  her  boon  companion." 

"  But  —  "  John  remonstrated. 

"  Oh,  she  '11  keep.  It 's  Nathalie  we  want 
now,  Nathalie  and  the  eternal  Mac." 

But  Ursula  objected. 

"  I  want  to  see  Mr.  Arterburn,  myself." 

Kingsley  stooped  to  break  off  a  heavy  rose, 
and  handed  it  to  her  with  an  exaggerated  bow 
and  smile. 

"  Oh,  do  you  ?  "  he  said  gravely.  "  Much 
better  for  you  to  see  me." 


52  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

She  shook  her  head. 

"  As  you  said  of  Peggy,  you  '11  keep.  Mr. 
Arterburn  is  more  of  a  novelty." 

Half  an  hour  later,  the  twilight  lay  thick  over 
the  oak  trees,  and  above  them  the  blue  was 
changing  to  a  purplish  black. 

"  I  suppose  it  really  is  time  we  were  going 
back  to  the  house,"  Nathalie  said  regretfully. 

"Oh,  don't,"  Kingsley  objected.  "This  is 
so  like  a  reunion  of  the  crowd  that  used  to  make 
merry  in  your  apartment,  why  can't  you  leave 
us  in  peace,  Nathalie?  One  is  willing  to 
concoct  a  cold  in  the  head  for  old  sake's 
sake." 

"Wait  till  you  begin  to  sneeze,"  she  cautioned 
him.  "  What  do  you  think,  Mac  ?  " 

"  We  want  your  advice  as  medical  man,  not 
as  tender  husband,"  John  Myers  added  hastily. 
"  We  are  going  to  spend  the  evening  with  you 
anyway,  Dr.  Holden,  so  you  won't  gain  any- 
thing by  starting  us  towards  the  house." 

Deliberately  Mac  stretched  himself  out  again 
at  Nathalie's  feet. 

"  In  that  case  we  may  as  well  stay  here,"  he 
said  resignedly.  "  Nathalie,  if  you  are  cold, 
Rex  will  run  down  to  the  house  for  a  rug." 

"  Not  if  he  knows  himself.    I  'm  fagging  for 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  53 

Ursula,  these  days.  Miss  Thain,  are  your  royal 
shoulders  aware  of  any  chill  ?  " 

"  No,  I  'm  perfectly  warm  and  perfectly  con- 
tent," she  said  languidly. 

"  Then  what  makes  you  talk  so  much  ? " 

"  I  'm  listening  to  the  wind  in  those  trees, 
and  trying  to  imagine  the  roar  of  Broadway. 
It 's  going  on  now,  the  everlasting  rumble  and 
rush.  Can  you  make  it  seem  real  ?  " 

Kingsley  held  up  a  warning  hand. 

"  Speaking  of  rumble  and  rush,"  he  observed ; 
"  here  come  Peggy  and  her  puppy." 

A  gaunt,  pale  form  shot  past  them  in  the  dim 
light.  The  next  moment,  Peggy  descended  into 
the  midst  of  the  group. 

"  Well,  if  this  is  n't  a  pretty  trick !  "  she  said 
hotly.  "  If  Mr.  Hubert  had  n't  told  me  where 
you  were,  I  never  should  have  found  you." 

"  One  more  nick  in  my  score  against  Uncle 
Hu,"  Kingsley  growled  in  an  aside  to  Ursula, 
while  Nathalie  said  apologetically,  — 

"  But  we  asked  you  to  come  with  us,  you 
know,  Peggy." 

"  Oh,  yes,  you,"  she  returned  with  unflatter- 
ing emphasis.  "  I  was  busy  then.  But  you 
might  have  known  I  'd  want  to  see  John  and 
Ursula." 


54  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

Kingsley  felt  in  a  succession  of  pockets,  dis- 
covered a  match,  scratched  it  on  his  heel,  and 
held  it  up  in  the  air. 

"  Well,  look  at  them  now,"  he  bade  her. 

"  Whoo !  "  Bending  forward,  she  blew  out 
the  match.  "  You  know  very  well  that 's  not 
what  I  meant,  Rex.  I  'm  awfully  glad  you  've 
come,  John.  I  want  you  to  help  me  make  a  new 
target." 

"  Peggy  •  "  Nathalie  warned  her. 

Peggy  turned  to  her  wearily. 

"  Oh,  Nathalie,  do  keep  still  for  once. 
You  're  so  used  to  being  waited  on  that  you 
don't  know  what  it  is  to  have  to  ask  a  favor. 
I  might  wait  forever.  My  target  was  left  out  in 
the  rain,  a  week  ago,  and  the  stuffing  swelled  up 
and  busted." 

This  time,  Harry  admonished  her,  though 
with  a  laugh  which  took  much  of  the  sting  from 
the  rebuke. 

"Busted,  Peggy?" 

"  Yes,  busted,"  she  persisted.  "  It  did  n't 
break,  nor  even  split;  it  just  busted  all  over 
itself.  It  was  n't  worn  any ;  I  had  n't  hit  it 
once.  I  know  Jack  will  help  me ;  he  's  so  good- 
natured  and  accommodating,"  she  added,  with 
a  vindictive  glance  at  Kingsley. 


NATHALIE'S  S1STAR  55 

"  Delighted,  I  'm  sure,"  John  returned 
gallantly. 

Peggy  hitched  a  few  inches  nearer  to  her 
brother. 

"  No ;    you  are  n't,  either." 

"  What  makes  you  think  so  ?  " 

"  If  you  were,  you  would  n't  say  it  in  that 
sirupy  tone." 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,"  John  said,  with  a 
meekness  which  was  only  half  feigned. 

"  Oh,  it 's  no  account.  I  '11  ask  Mr.  Hubert. 
He  offered;  but  I  hated  to  trouble  him,  when 
there  were  so  many  younger  men  sitting  around 
and  doing  nothing." 

Kingsley  rolled  over  on  his  back  and  turned 
to  face  her. 

"What's  r'iled  you,  Peggy  Ann?"  he 
queried. 

"  Nothing,"  she  said  shortly.  "  How  do  you 
do,  Ursula  ?  I  'm  so  glad  you  are  going  to  be 
here,  this  summer.  I  do  hope  you  like  dogs, 
for  Nathalie  has  one  that  I  am  training  for 
her.  Here  she  comes  now." 

As  she  spoke,  the  ghostly  form  bounded  past 
them  again  and  vanished  in  the  direction  of 
the  house.  The  next  moment,  there  came  a 
voice,  — 


56  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

"  Down,  Sophia !     Is  Peggy  over  here  ?  " 

"  Here  she  is,  Uncle  Hu,"  Dr.  Holden  called 
back  to  him. 

"  Crazy  child !  "  Mr.  McAlister  said,  as  he 
came  up  behind  her  and  dropped  her  jacket 
over  the  thin  embroidery  of  her  gown.  "  Do 
you  know  that  you  romped  for  half  an  hour 
with  Sophia,  before  you  came  out  here  to  sit 
on  the  grass  ?  " 

With  sudden  gentleness,  she  rose  and  stood 
beside  him. 

"  It 's  very  good  to  have  somebody  coddle 
me,"  she  said,  with  an  odd  little  quaver  in  her 
voice.  "  I  've  never  been  much  used  to  that 
kind  of  thing,  somehow  or  other." 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  57 


CHAPTER   FIVE 

"I~YESERTED,  Peggy?" 

1  J    At  the  question,  she  glanced  up  alertly. 

"Don't  I  look  it?" 

Hubert  McAlister  came  out  of  the  house  and 
took  the  veranda  chair  at  her  side. 

"  Where  are  the  others  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  Gone  for  a  drive." 

"All  of  them?" 

"  Yes.  Not  in  procession,  though.  Mrs. 
Barrett  took  Jack  and  Harry  and  went  to  the 
east;  the  others  went  west  with  Mac  and 
Nathalie."  f 

"  How  does  it  happen  you  did  n't  go  ?  " 

"  Did  n't  want  to." 

He  saw  that  something  was  amiss,  and  he 
pursued  his  investigations.  He  had  not  been 
slow  to  learn  that,  in  some  unaccountable 
fashion,  he  had  won  Peggy's  liking  and,  what 
was  more,  her  trust.  He  was  also  learning  that 
Peggy  Arterburn  bestowed  neither  liking  nor 
trust  at  random. 


58  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

"  How  does  it  happen  you  did  n't  want  to 
go?" 

She  pointed  to  the  hat  on  the  floor  beside  her, 
and  her  face  flushed  a  little. 

"  I  was  all  ready  to  go.  Then  Kingsley  said 
something  that  —  something  disrespectful,  and 
I  changed  my  mind,"  she  answered,  with  some 
dignity. 

Most  men  would  have  smiled  at  the  ob- 
vious euphemism;  but  Hubert  McAlister  knew 
better. 

"  I  am  afraid  Rex  is  n't  always  respectful," 
he  said  gravely. 

Peggy's  heels  struck  the  floor  sharply. 

"  Well,  I  should  rather  say  he  was  n't." 

"  But  what  is  the  use  of  caring  ?  " 

"  Any  girl  likes  to  be  treated  politely." 

"  He  only  does  it  to  tease." 

"  Then  he  'd  better  stop." 

"  He  will,  when  he  sees  you  don't  care." 

"But  I  do  care." 

"  What  'a  the  use  ?  "  he  asked,  patiently  be- 
ginning on  his  second  round  of  the  circle. 

She  faced  him  squarely. 

"  Mr.  Hubert,  I  did  think  you  would  under- 
stand," she  said,  with  an  accent  of  rebuke. 

"  I  am  sorry,  Margaret.     I  wish  I  did." 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  59 

She  relented,  as  she  always  did  when  he 
called  her  Margaret.  Heretofore,  the  use  of 
the  name  had  been  confined  solely  to  the  record 
in  the  family  Bible. 

"  I  don't  know  how  you  could.  I  suppose 
it  'a  more  wonder  that  you  understand  as  often 
as  you  do ;  but  I  've  come  to  count  on  it.  You 
are  n't  a  girl,  either.  But  it 's  this  way.  Rex 
can  be  adorable,  when  he  chooses.  He  does 
choose,  when  it 's  a  case  of  Nathalie  and  Ursula. 
I  'm  the  only  other  girl  here,  and  I  don't  see 
why  he  should  n't  treat  me  in  the  same  way," 
she  explained  elaborately. 

He  meditated  for  a  minute  or  two. 

"  Peggy,  do  you  know  anything  about 
fencing  ?  "  he  asked  then. 

"  No.  Do  you  ? "  she  answered  a  little 
blankly. 

"  Something.  Enough  to  know  it  is  good 
sport,  if  the  adversaries  are  well  matched.  Some 
day,  perhaps,  we  will  get  out  my  old  foils. 
Meanwhile,  I  am  going  to  give  you  the  first 
lesson.  Be  sure  you  keep  your  temper.  Be 
sure  the  buttons  are  on  your  foils.  Then  strike 
home." 

She  looked  puzzled. 

"  You  mean  —  ?  " 


60  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

"  That,  when  Rex  teases  you,  you  '11  return 
the  compliment  with  interest." 

"  He  '11  get  mad." 

"  Not  if  you  don't.  Rex  is  n't  ugly.  He 
torments  you,  just  as  Sophia  torments  the  cat, 
for  the  sake  of  seeing  her  put  up  her  back  at 
him." 

"  But  you  scold  Sophia,"  she  retorted. 

"  How  do  you  know  that  I  don't  scold  Rex  ?  " 
he  asked,  laughing.  Then,  of  a  sudden,  he  rose. 
"  Peggy,  did  you  know  I  had  a  horse  of  my 
own?" 

"  No." 

"  Well,  I  have." 

"  The  little  black  one  you  were  riding,  one 
night  ? "  she  questioned  eagerly. 

"  Yes,  that  is  my  especial  property.  Don't 
you  want  to  go  for  a  drive  with  me  ? " 

She  started  up  enthusiastically.  Then  her 
eyes  clouded. 

"  But  I  would  n't  go  with  Mrs.  Barrett." 

He  liked  her  admission. 

"  I  will  explain  it  all  to  Mrs.  Barrett,  and  she 
won't  care.  There  is  time  for  a  long  drive 
before  dark,  and  we  can  finish  up  our  talk  on 
the  way."  He  smiled  down  at  her  invitingly; 
then  the  smile  broadened  into  a  laugh,  as  he 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  61 

added,  "  And  you  know  you  'd  like  to  drive 
Mark." 

She  echoed  his  laugh. 

"  How  did  you  know  I  love,  just  love  dearly, 
to  drive  ? " 

"  Lawyers  know  things  without  being  told. 
I  have  watched  you  with  Sophia.  Get  a  warm 
coat,  then,  and  I  will  be  ready  in  ten  minutes," 
he  said  over  his  shoulder,  as  he  started  towards 
the  barn. 

"  But  why  Mark  ?  "  she  asked,  when  they 
were  scudding  along  the  country  road  to  the 
west  of  The  Savins. 

"  Marcus  Aurelius,  if  you  please,  because  he 
is  given  to  long  meditations." 

"  He  does  n't  suggest  it  now." 

For  his  only  answer,  he  passed  her  tlie  reins. 
Mark  dropped  into  a  leisurely  shamble. 

"  Why  won't  he  go  ?  "  she  demanded,  after 
an  interval  of  urging. 

"  He  knows  his  master.  I  bought  him,  name 
and  all,  with  the  reputation  of  being  the  sleepi- 
est horse  in  town.  I  proceeded  to  wake  him  up." 

"How?" 

"  By  showing  him  that  I  understood  all  his 
tricks,  and  that  I  proposed  to  have  him  drop 
them." 


62  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

She  looked  up  at  him  sharply. 

"  Is  that  the  method  you  are  trying  with 
me  ?  "  she  queried. 

Her  question  was  unexpected;  nevertheless, 
he  answered  coolly,  — 

"  Yes.  How  do  you  think  it  is  going  to  work 
in  your  case  ?  " 

She  raised  her  brows  and  shook  her  head. 

"  I  don't  know.  It 's  too  soon  yet  to  judge. 
I  'm  sorry,  though,  that  I  found  out  your 
game." 

"Because—  ?" 

"  Because  now  I  shall  keep  studying  how  to 
beat  you  at  it."  Then  she  looked  back  over  her 
shoulder.  "  I  thought  I  heard  something  be- 
hind us,"  she  explained. 

He  glanced  backward. 

"  It  is  an  open  road,  and  nothing  is  in  sight. 
Are  you  tired  of  driving  ?  " 

"  No ;  but  I  do  like  to  go  a  little  faster,"  she 
said,  as  she  returned  the  reins  to  his  hands. 
"  Besides,  I  want  to  see  how  your  method  works 
on  Mark." 

"  This  way."  The  reins  tightened  with  a 
steady  pull,  and  Mark  went  flying  away  towards 
a  distant  hill.  Mr.  McAlister  pointed  to  it  with 
his  whip.  "  Peggy,  did  you  ever  hear  how  Mrs. 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  63 

Barrett  upset  her  husband,  the  first  time  she  met 
him?" 

"  The  time  she  and  the  skeleton  ran  into  his 
bicycle  ? " 

"  Yes.  That  hill  is  the  scene  of  the  disaster. 
It  is  the  one  historic  event  I  am  sorry  to  have 
missed.  Washington  crossing  the  Delaware 
would  have  been  nothing  in  comparison." 

"  Where  did  she  get  her  skeleton  ? "  Peggy 
asked,  as  once  more  she  glanced  backwards  over 
her  shoulder. 

"  Bought  it  second-hand." 

"  What  on  earth  did  she  want  of  it  ?  "    . 

Mr.  McAlister  loosed  the  reins  as  they  drew 
near  the  foot  of  the  hill. 

"  Oh,  that  was  when  she  had  the  medical  bee 
in  her  bonnet." 

"The  what?" 

"  The  medical  bee.  Did  n't  you  know  she 
started  out  to  be  a  doctor  ? " 

"  No,  never." 

"Yes,  she  studied  for  a  year  or  two.  Mr. 
Barrett  was  her  first  and  only  patient." 

"  And  she  would  have  cut  up  people  ? " 
Peggy's  accent  betrayed  her  disgust. 

"  Yes." 

"  How  very  messy  I  " 


64  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

"  That  was  what  Mr.  Barrett  thought,  and  he 
persuaded  her  to  give  it  up." 

"  I  should  hope  so !  "  she  responded  fervently. 

He  laughed. 

"  But  you  don't  think  Dr.  Holden  is  messy." 

"  BTo ;  but  he  does  n't  have  to  wear  fancy 
sleeves  and  long  skirts.  It 's  different  for  a 
man.  I  don't  think  women  ought  to  do  such 
things,"  she  said  loftily. 

"What  should  they  do?     Housekeep?" 

"  Yes,  if  they  must ;  only  they  ought  to  have 
somebody  to  do  dishes  and  clean  the  stove,"  she 
said,  with  a  glance  down  at  her  carefully-kept 
hands  which  were  large,  but  comely.  "  And 
then  they  can  write  books,  and  paint  pictures, 
and  teach  school,  and  —  and  —  " 

"  What  about  law  ? "  he  asked,  laughing 
again. 

She  shrugged  her  shoulders. 

"  Oh,  we  all  like  to  talk.  What  do  you  think 
I  'm  going  to  be  ?  " 

"What?" 

"  An  actress ;  or  else  somebody  that  plans 
gowns  for  famous  people.  I  don't  mean  I  shall 
sew  them.  I  hate  sewing ;  but  I  think  I  'd  like 
to  plan  wonderful  things  out  of  silk  and  lace 
and  ribbons,  and  tell  them  when  to  wear  their 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  65 

good  clothes,  and  not  to  go  shopping  with  all 
their  diamonds  on." 

"  I  am  afraid  you  might  have  hard  work 
with  some  of  your  clients,  Peggy.  But  what  is 
the  matter  ?  " 

Once  more  she  was  bending  far  out  at  the  side 
of  the  carriage,  her  nose  in  dangerous  proximity 
to  the  rear  wheel.  At  his  words,  she  straight- 
ened up  abruptly. 

"  It 's  Sophia  Smith,"  she  said.  "  I  was  sure 
I  heard  something.  She  has  been  following  us 
all  the  way." 

Mr.  McAlister  reined  in  Mark,  then  he 
leaned  out  of  the  carriage  on  his  own  side. 

"  Sophia !  "  he  said  sternly. 

Out  from  under  the  carriage  Sophia  came 
with  a  bounce  of  joy  that  at  last  her  presence 
was  recognized.  Her  tail,  which  was  slowly 
shaping  itself  to  an  aristocratic  ring  at  its  end, 
was  wagging  furiously.  From  her  lips,  tight- 
closed,  yet  smiling,  there  dangled  negligently 
the  limp  body  of  a  half -grown  chicken. 

The  occupants  of  the  carriage  exchanged  a 
glance  of  consternation.  Then  they  asked, 
simultaneously,  — 

"  Where  in  the  world  do  you  suppose  she  got 
it?" 


66  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

"  What  in  the  world  are  we  going  to  do  with 
her?" 

Laying  the  chicken  tenderly  on  the  ground, 
Sophia  seated  herself  by  the  roadside  and 
smirked  at  them,  while  she  waited  for  them  to 
proceed. 

"  Oh,  dear !  I  wonder  if  we  ought  to  go 
back,"  Peggy  said  ruefully,  after  a  vain  attempt 
to  stare  Sophia  out  of  countenance  without 
laughing. 

Mr.  McAlister  shook  his  head. 

"No;   I  think  she  wiU  follow." 

"  There  does  n't  appear  to  be  much  doubt  of 
her  ability  in  that  direction,"  Peggy  said  grimly. 
"  It 's  only  a  question  of  the  amount  of  hunting 
she  may  attempt  to  do  on  the  way.  I  can't 
answer  for  her,  Mr.  Hubert." 

"  But  you  don't  want  to  go  home  ? " 

"  Not  a  bit.  I  am  having  too  good  a 
time." 

"  Go  on,  Mark." 

"  If  anything  happens,  remember  you  were 
the  one  to  decide,"  she  warned  him,  as  Mark 
sped  away  along  the  crest  of  the  hill. 

"  I  promise  to  bear  all  the  consequences," 
he  answered,  in  the  same  tone. 

For  a  time,  it  seemed  that  nothing  was  likely 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  67 

to  happen.  Mark  had  settled  into  a  swift,  even 
trot,  and  Sophia,  a  dust-colored  patch  upon  the 
dusty  road,  went  leaping  away,  half  a  hundred 
feet  in  advance.  Now  and  then  she  made  a 
slight  detour  to  this  side  or  to  that ;  but  for  the 
most  part  she  attended  strictly  to  business,  and 
behaved  herself  as  a  well-descended  dog  should 
do.  From  occasional  references  to  her,  the  talk 
drifted  away  from  her  entirely,  and  Mr.  Mc- 
Alister.  and  Peggy  fell  to  chatting  about  all 
manner  of  impersonal  details.  Mark,  mean- 
while, fired  by  the  flying  feet  before  him,  was 
flying  over  the  road  at  a  great  pace,  his  head 
up,  his  nostrils  distended  in  excitement  over 
this  novel  race. 

Then  came  the  unexpected.  From  under  the 
very  feet  of  Sophia  there  sprang  a  wild  rabbit 
which  went  leaping  away,  straight  towards  the 
advancing  horse.  In  an  instant,  Sophia's  hunt- 
ing instincts  were  on  the  alert.  Nose  to  earth, 
she  went  bounding  after  the  rabbit,  and  flew 
down  the  road  directly  towards  Mark's  nose,  at  a 
speed  which  would  have  discomposed  the  nerves 
of  a  plough  horse.  Even  Mr.  McAlister  held 
his  breath  at  the  bolt-like  rush.  He  tightened 
his  grip  on  the  lines;  but  he  was  a  second  too 
late.  Mark  shied  violently,  and  came  into  col- 


68  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

lision  with  Sophia,  who,  not  counting  upon  his 
shying,  had  swerved  slightly  to  one  side.  There 
was  a  frightened  snort,  a  high-pitched  yelp; 
then  Sophia  Smith,  uninjured  save  for  the  blow 
to  her  pride,  rolled  to  one  side  out  of  harm's 
way,  while  Mark  went  tearing  up  the  road,  with 
the  broken-thilled  carriage  skittering  this  way 
and  that  at  his  heels. 

"  Stay  where  you  are,  Peggy !   Don't  jump !" 

Her  answering  voice  was  steady  and  even. 

"  I  'm  all  right.  Mark  will  go  to  meditating 
in  a  minute." 

"  Not  this  time.  Hold  tight.  We  're  going 
to  strike  the  post." 

The  forward  wheel  crashed  against  a  tele- 
phone pole,  and  Mark  broke  away  and  raced  up 
the  road.  A  moment  later,  Peggy,  half-dazed 
with  the  shock  of  her  fall,  sat  up  and  looked 
about  her. 

"  Are  you  hurt,  Margaret  ?  " 

The  voice  sounded  rather  far  away,  consider- 
ing the  fact  that  Mr.  McAlister  was  standing 
close  at  her  side.  She  rubbed  her  hand  across 
her  face.  Then,  pulling  together  her  scattered 
senses,  she  sprang  to  her  feet. 

"  Not  a  bit,",  she  answered  him. 

"  You  are  quite  sure  ?  " 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  69 

"  Perfectly.  I  am  tough,  and  can  stand  an 
occasional  upsetting.  Where  is  Mark  ?  " 

"  In  the  next  town,  by  this  time." 

"And  Sophia?" 

He  pointed  backward  to  the  dust-colored  spot 
flying  up  the  road  towards  them.  Then  sud- 
denly Peggy  bethought  herself,  and  glanced  up 
into  his  face.  It  was  white,  and  there  was  a 
bluish  ring  about  the  lips. 

"  Oh,  are  you  hurt  ? "  she  cried,  in  sudden 
alarm. 

"  Only  my  finger." 

"And  that?" 

He  held  up  his  right  forefinger  and  frowned 
at  it  ruefully. 

"  I  am  rather  afraid  it  is  broken,"  he  said 
quietly.  "  It  is  growing  late,  Peggy.  What  if 
we  walk  on  until  we  come  to  a  house  ?  " 


70  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 


CHAPTER   SIX 

THE  Sabbath  quiet  of  the  next  afternoon 
was  broken  by  the  scratch  of  Peggy's  stub 
pen  and  the  creak  of  Peggy's  rocking-chair, 
which  mingled  in  a  dismal  duet.  She  raised  her 
eyes  from  her  letter,  as  the  six  young  people 
crossed  the  lawn. 

"  Well,  I  hope  you  feel  better  in  your  con- 
sciences," she  remarked  affably. 

"  We  were  only  sorry  you  were  n't  with  us, 
dear.  It  was  a  lovely  service,"  Nathalie  said, 
as  she  sat  down  on  the  edge  of  the  veranda,  and 
drew  up  a  chair  for  her  hat  and  prayer-book. 

"  I  thought  I  'd  do  more  good  staying  at 
home." 

"  And  putting  in  the  time  making  some  good 
resolutions  ?  "  Kingsley  inquired. 

She  frowned. 

"  No ;    writing  to  Cousin  Eudora." 

Her  brother  nodded  up  at  her  from  his  place 
at  her  feet. 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  71 

"  That  is  a  good  deed,  Peggy.  I  have  been 
meaning  to  do  it;  but  I  kept  putting  it  off." 

"  If  I  put  things  off,  I  never  do  them." 

Dr.  Holden  laughed. 

"  That  sounds  suspiciously  like  a  rebuke  to 
you,  Hal." 

"  It 's  no  such  thing.  When  I  rebuke,  I  do 
it  straight,  not  with  a  back-handed  slap,"  Peggy 
retorted.  "  Besides,  there  is  no  especial  reason 
I  should  rebuke  Hal.  The  truth  is,  I  forgot  all 
about  Cousin  Eudora  until  to-day." 

"  Because  you  were  having  such  a  good  time 
with  us,  Peggy  Ann  ? "  Kingsley  asked. 

"  Because  I  was  so  busy  training  Sophia 
Smith.  I  've  a  good  mind  to  ask  Cousin  Eudora 
how  Christian  Scientists  train  dogs  not  to  slip 
their  collars." 

"  Tighten  them,"  John  suggested. 

"  The  collars,  or  the  dogs  ?  " 

"  Both.  If  I  were  in  your  place,  Peggy,  I 
would  tie  a  knot  in  her  neck  to  hold  the  collar 
down." 

"  Good  idea,  Jack !  It  is  long  enough.  Na- 
thalie Arterburn,  did  you  wear*those  gloves  to 
church  with  that  plain  hat  ? " 

"  Yes.    Why  not  ?  " 

"  Because  they  don't  match." 


72  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

"  They  're  both  white." 

"  Yes ;  but  one  is  fit  for  a  party,  the  other 
goes  with  your  walking-clothes,"  Peggy  admon- 
ished her  severely.  "  At  least,  just  while  you 
are  a  bride,  and  everybody  is  watching  you,  I 
do  wish  you  would  be  a  little  bit  more  careful." 

"  You  might  make  a  catalogue  of  her  clothes, 
with  cross  references  to  the  ones  that  go  to- 
gether," Ursula  suggested,  just  as  Mac  observed, 
in  pretended  alarm,  — 

"  I*eggy>  do  you  really  mean  that  everybody 
is  watching  us  ?  " 

"  Not  you ;  only  just  Nathalie,"  she  answered 
ruthlessly.  "  The  man  never  counts  for  much/' 

It  was  Ursula  who  changed  the  subject. 

"  And  so,  if  it  is  pleasant  to-morrow,  we  are 
really  to  go  to  the  Glen,"  she  said. 

Harry  looked  up. 

"  I  have  n't  heard  of  it.  Who  are  going  ?  " 
he  asked. 

"  All  of  us.  Mrs.  Barrett  has  been  planning 
it  for  a  week;  but  it  takes  all  day,  and  the 
mornings  have  been  so  threatening.  She  prom- 
ises us  a  good  day,  to-morrow,  though." 

"  How  are  you  going  ?  "  Nathalie  inquired. 

"  That 's  the  question."  Kingsley  rose  as  he 
spoke,  coolly  pushed  Mac  to  one  side,  and  took 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  73 

his  place  beside  Nathalie.  "  There  will  be, 
let 's  see,  how  many  of  us  ?  Four  from  our 
house  and  four  of  you." 

"  Then  take  your  trap  and  our  surrey,"  Mac 
suggested.  "  Rex,  you  and  Ursula  can  come 
in  with  us,  and  Peggy  and  Hal  can  go  with  your 
mother.  That  breaks  up  two  family  parties." 

"  If  that  is  what  you  are  after,  you  'd  better 
put  Nathalie  in  with  Mrs.  Barrett,"  Peggy  ad- 
vised them  dryly.  "  Nathalie,  is  that  the 
prayer-book  you  were  married  out  of  ?  " 

"  Yes.  Dr.  Aldrich  always  gives  it  to  the 
bride." 

"  I  should  think  you  would  be  more  careful 
of  it." 

"  I  am  careful." 

"  But  it  is  getting  scratched  already. 
Have  n't  you  another  one  you  could  use  ? " 

"  Yes." 

"  Why  don't  you  use  it,  then,  and  save  this  ?  " 

"  Because  I  don't  wish  to,  Peggy." 

Nathalie's  patience  was  about  ended,  and  her 
dignity  was  a  bit  overpowering.  Kingsley  came 
to  the  rescue. 

"  Peggy  Ann,"  he  inquired ;  "  if  you  had  a 
brand-new  husband,  should  you  use  him,  or 
should  you  put  him  in  the  closet  to  save  him  ? " 


74  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

"  If  I  had  a  brand-new  husband,  I  should  n't 
scratch  him  all  up,  the  first  thing,"  she  retorted. 

Kingsley  whistled  thoughtfully. 

"  Mayhap,"  he  observed.  "  Still,  I  have  my 
doubts." 

"  What  about  lunch  ?  "  Nathalie  said,  break- 
ing in  upon  the  sparring.  "  What  time  do  we 
start,  Ursula  ? " 

"  As  soon  after  nine  as  we  can  be  ready." 

"  Then  I  must  rise  with  the  lark  and  cook 
things." 

"What's  the  use?  The  mater  has  stuff 
enough  planned  for  us  all  but  Peggy.  We  can 
buy  her  a  loaf  of  bread,  as  we  pass  the  bakery." 

Peggy  raised  her  head.  Seated  nearer  the 
window  than  the  others,  she  was  the  only  one  to 
hear  the  voices  within  the  house. 

"  Yes,  it 's  a  confoundedly  bad  time,"  Hubert 
McAlister  was  saying  to  his  father.  "  Both 
clerks  are  away,  and  I  have  to  get  together  some 
sort  of  notes  on  the  Thomas  case.  I  never  sup- 
posed a  forefinger  was  so  useful." 

"  Whom  can  you  get  ?  "  his  father  asked. 

"  I  don't  know.  Midsummer  is  a  bad  time. 
I  '11  start  early,  to-morrow,  and  I  may  be  able 
to  find  somebody." 

The  creak  of  Peggy's  chair  stopped  short. 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  75 

"  You  can  save  your  loaf,  then,"  she  said 
abruptly. 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  That  I  'm  not  going." 

"Oh,  Peggy!"    ' 

She  liked  John,  and  she  was  pleased  at  his 
accent  of  regret. 

"  I  'm  sorry,  Jack,"  she  said  more  gently. 

"  Then  do  go.  It  will  spoil  all  the  fun,  if  you 
are  n't  there." 

"  My  going  or  not  going  is  n't  as  important 
as  all  that,"  she  answered  grimly. 

"  But  Mrs.  Barrett  wants  us  all,  Peggy," 
Ursula  urged  her. 

"  I  'm  sorry." 

Her  brother  turned  and  rested  his  arm  across 
her  knee. 

"  Won't  you  please  go,  Peggy  ? "  he  asked. 
"  I  wish  you  would." 

She  dropped  her  hand  over  his. 

"  I  'm  sorry,  Hal,"  she  repeated  slowly ;  "  but 
really  I  can't.  I  have  something  else  that  I 
must  do." 

And  that  was  all  she  would  vouchsafe  to 
tell  them. 

There  was  no  vacant  seat,  however,  when  the 
two  carriages  drove  away  from  The  Savins,  the 


76  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

next  morning.  By  dint  of  much  persuasion, 
old  Dr.  McAlister  had  been  coaxed  into  joining 
the  expedition,  and  even  Peggy's  most  loyal 
adherents  could  not  but  admit  that  their  plea- 
sure had  gained  by  her  resolution  to  remain  at 
home.  Directly  after  breakfast,  Peggy  had 
mysteriously  vanished,  so  Hubert  McAlister 
stood  alone  on  the  steps  to  wish  them  a  jovial 
day.  Then  he  took  his  hat  and  started  in  the 
direction  of  his  office. 

* 

Half  an  hour  later,  he  wearily  mounted  the 
stairs  and  opened  his  office  door.  Even  Hubert 
McAlister's  customary  optimism  was  at  a  low 
ebb,  that  morning.  His  finger  ached  dully,  and 
his  back  had  been  wrenched  by  his  fall.  Under 
some  conditions  he  would  have  felt  justified  in 
taking  the  advice  of  his  father,  and  spending 
the  day  in  bed.  Instead  of  that,  notes  must  be 
prepared  and  records  copied  for  an  important 
case,  and  a  diligent  search  of  the  town  had  dis- 
closed to  him  the  fact  that  not  a  copyist  was  to 
be  had. 

"  Good-morning  again,"  a  composed  voice  met 
him  as  he  entered.  * 

He  halted  in  amazement,  one  hand  on  the 
door,  the  other  just  in  the  act  of  lifting  his  hat 
from  his  head. 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  77 

"  Where  did  you  come  from  ?  " 

Peggy  rose  from  her  seat  beside  the  table. 
Dressed  in  spotless  blue  gingham,  her  cuffs  cov- 
ered with  coils  of  brown  paper,  and  her  hair 
brushed  smoothly  away  from  her  face,  she 
looked  as  pretty  and  demure  a  clerk  as  a  busy 
lawyer  could  desire. 

"  From  The  Savins,"  she  answered  non- 
chalantly. 

"  But  how  did  you  get  in  ?  " 

"  The  janitor.  I  told  him  you  wanted 
me." 

"  But  I  did  n't." 

"  I  'm  sorry,"  she  said,  with  apparent  meek- 
ness. "  Still,  one  is  allowed  to  fib  a  little  in  a 
good  cause.  It 's  not  altogether  a  fib,  either. 
You  wanted  a  clerk." 

"  Yes,  but  —  " 

"  Well,  I  'm  your  man.  That 's  what  I  came 
for.  I  wish  I  'd  known  you  were  going  to  be 
so  late,  though,  for  then  I  could  have  given 
Sophia  her  morning  walk." 

He  still  looked  a  little  puzzled. 

"  Well,  go  and  give  it  to  her  now." 

Half  impatiently  she  seated  herself  at  the 
table  again. 

"  What  a  bat  you  are !  "  she  said  explosively. 


78  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

"  I  should  think  anybody  would  see  that  I 
ready  to  go  to  work." 

"  To  work  at  what  ?  " 

"  Copying  your  stuff.  Lawyers  always  have 
reams  of  copying  to  do,  and  you  know  you  can't 
write  with  your  finger  all  splinted  up." 

He  held  out  his  left  hand  to  her. 

"  Margaret,  this  is  good  of  you.  I  appreciate 
it,  child;  but  I  can't  have  you  shut  up  in  this 
office,  the  whole  morning." 

"  Then  leave  the  door  open,"   she  advised 

him.    "  Where  are  your  papers  ?  " 
«  j j » 

Her  chin  rose  in  the  air. 

"  Of  course,  if  you  think  I  don't  write  well 
enough  —  "  she  said  a  little  haughtily. 

Even  while  he  wondered  at  her  quick-witted 
reading  of  his  thoughts,  he  saw  that  there  was 
no  use  in  denying  the  charge. 

"  I  suppose  lawyers  are  fussy  people,"  he 
began  apologetically;  but  she  interrupted 
him,  — 

"  Yes,  and  so  are  bachelors.  Still,  I  '11  do 
my  best,  and  you  might  have  given  my  common 
sense  the  benefit  of  the  doubt.  I  should  n't 
have  offered,  if  I  had  expected  to  spoil  your 
work.  But  there,  will  that  do  ? "  And  she 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  79 

rapidly  wrote  a  few  lines  on  a  sheet  of  paper 
and  tossed  it  to  him. 

He  smiled  in  approval. 

"  It  is  perfect,  much  better  than  Miss  Crom- 
well's work.  What  are  your  charges  by  the 
hour?" 

For  a  moment,  she  stared  blankly  at  him. 
Then  the  color  rushed  to  her  cheeks,  and  her 
eyes  glittered  angrily.  Rising,  she  removed  her 
paper  cuffs  and  put  on  her  hat. 

"Why,  Peggy,  child,  what's  the  matter?" 
he  asked  in  blank  amazement. 

"  Nothing." 

"  Where  are  you  going  ?  " 

"  Home.     That  is,  to  The  Savins." 

"Why?" 

"  Because  I  want  to." 

"  But  I  thought  you  were  going  to  help 
me." 

"  I  was ;  but  I  'm  not,"  she  said,  with  a  sus- 
picious gulp. 

"  But  I  need  help,  Peggy." 

Even  at  sight  of  his  bandaged  finger  her  face 
did  not  relent. 

"  And  your  writing  is  very  clear  and  clean." 

Behind  her  shut  teeth  she  swallowed  hard. 

"  And  I  'd  pay  you  well,"  he  blundered  on, 


80  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

quite  unconscious  of  the  girlish  devotion  he  was 
wounding  to  the  quick. 

She  turned  on  him  sharply. 

"  That  'a  just  it.  I  don't  want  your  old 
money." 

"  But  I  'd  have  to  pay  any  clerk." 

"  I  'm  not  your  clerk,"  she  snapped.  Then 
of  a  sudden  her  voice  turned  appealing.  "  Mr. 
Hubert,  can't  you  imagine  having  a  thing  done 
out  of  mere  friendship  ?  "  Her  voice  steadied 
again.  "  But  even  if  you  can't,  I  Ve  a  right  to 
do  your  work  for  a  few  days.  It  is  only  squar- 
ing up  a  debt." 

"What  debt?" 

"  Your  finger.     My  dog  did  it." 

"Your  dog?" 

She  mistook  the  force  of  his  question. 

"  Well,  Nathalie's  dog,  then,"  she  said  im- 
patiently. "  I  have  all  the  care  of  it,  so  I  called 
it  mine.  I  didn't  suppose  I  needed  to  be  so 
accurate  as  all  that." 

"  But  how  did  your  dog  break  my  finger  ?  " 

"  By  running  into  Mark  and  making  him 
upset  things.  You  're  a  lawyer,  and  you  ought 
to  know  that  you  could  collect  damages."  She 
spoke  hotly.  Then  she  paused.  "  Mr.  Hubert," 
she  said  at  length,  as  she  held  out  her  hand ;  "  I 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  81 

did  n't  mean  to  be  cross ;  but  you  made  me.  All 
night  long,  I  have  been  counting  on  coming  down 
here  to  help  you  until  your  finger  grew  up.  I 
thought  I  should  have  such  a  good  time.  And 
now  you  've  made  me  cross ;  and  I  never  sup- 
posed you  could  do  it.  You  Ve  been  good  to 
me  since  I  came  here.  But  about  my  being 
down  here :  if  I  can't  help  you,  say  so,  and  send 
me  home.  If  I  can  be  of  any  sort  of  use,  then 
let  me  stay.  But,  for  mercy's  sake,  don't  talk 
about  paying  me.  There  are  some  things  that 
are  n't  a  question  of  money." 

He  glanced  down  at  the  strong,  firm  hand 
lying  inside  his  own,  then  up  at  the  intent  face. 

"  Thank  you,  Margaret,"  he  said  gratefully. 
"  I  shall  be  glad  to  have  you  stay." 


82  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 


CHAPTER   SEVEN 

PEGGY  pursued  her  investigations. 
"  But  how  did  you  know  when  you  had 
it?" 

"  Had  —  ?  "  Mrs.  Farrington  asked  blankly. 

"  Inspiration.  How  did  it  feel,  when  it  first 
came  to  you  ?  " 

Mrs.  Farrington  laughed  with  a  girlish  blithe- 
ness  which  belied  her  fifty  years. 

"  I  did  n't  even  know  I  had  it  now,  Peggy." 

"  Of  course  you  must  have  it.  Else  how  do 
you  write  your  books  ?  " 

"  With  a  pen." 

"  Yes,  but  what  animates  the  pen  ? "  Peggy 
persisted. 

Mrs.  Farrington's  eyes  twinkled  at  the  gran- 
diloquent phrase. 

"  Elbow  grease,"  she  responded  calmly. 

Peggy's  impatience  caused  her  to  bounce  in 
her  chair  like  a  kernel  of  corn  on  a  red-hot 
stove. 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  83 

"  Oh,  don't  laugh  at  me,"  she  begged.  "  I 
want  to  be  an  author,  and  I  do  wish  you  'd  tell 
me  how  to  go  to  work." 

"  It  depends  something  upon  what  you  want 
to  auth,"  Mrs.  Farrington  said,  still  laughing 
a  little. 

"  Books,  just  like  yours,"  Peggy  answered 
with  admiring  fervor. 

"  Oh,  but  I  hope  you  will  try  for  something 
a  great  deal  better  than  that." 

"  I  could  n't." 

"  What  about  Pride  and  Prejudice  ?  "  Mrs. 
Farrington  reminded  her. 

"  I  know ;  but  they  are  n't  to-day.  I  must  do 
something  that 's  up  to  date,"  Peggy  answered. 
"  That 's  the  reason  I  like  your  books ;  your 
heroine's  clothes  are  always  such  good  style." 

Mrs.  Farrington  could  contain  herself  no 
longer,  and  her  laugh  rang  out  so  infectiously 
that  even  Peggy  joined  in  it.  A  moment  later, 
however,  Peggy  turned  grave  again,  and  her 
accent  was  rather  aggrieved,  as  she  said,  — 

"  Truly,  Mrs.  Farrington,  I  never  thought 
you  would  laugh  at  me.  Only  yesterday,  Mr. 
Hubert  was  telling  how  good  you  were  to  be- 
ginners. I  supposed  you  would  be  willing  to 
tell  me  how  to  go  to  work  in  the  first  place." 


84  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

"  I  am  afraid  you  would  n't  take  my  advice." 

"  Yes,  truly  and  honestly  I  would." 

"  Are  you  sure  ?  Well,  get  all  the  paper  and 
ink  you  want,  and  go  to  work.  Write  to  your 
heart's  content ;  but  be  sure  you  have  a  good  hot 
stove  within  reach." 

Peggy  sat  up  alertly. 

"  Does  it  make  cold  chills  go  down  your  back 
that  much  ? "  she  asked,  with  a  sudden  lapse 
into  the  vernacular  of  her  Vermont  home. 

"  No.  I  think  I  usually  get  rather  warm 
over  my  work,  and  the  paper  inclines  to  get 
sticky,"  Mrs.  Farrington  responded  prosaically. 

"  Then  what  is  the  stove  for  ?  " 

"  To  burn  things." 

"  Burn  up  my  stories  ?  "  Peggy  demanded  in 
consternation. 

"  Yes,  for  a  few  years." 

"You  didn't." 

"  Ask  Mr.  Farrington  to  tell  you  about  my 
first  novel.  But,  Peggy,  child,  what  makes  you 
want  to  write  ?  " 

"  I  think  I  have  it  in  me.  Besides,  it  must 
be  so  perfectly  lovely,  when  the  checks  come  in." 

Mrs.  Farrington  frowned. 

"  That  is  the  least  of  my  care,"  she  answered 
a  little  abruptly. 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  85 

"  How  queer !  But  then  you  're  rich.  I  sup- 
pose that  makes  a  difference.  I  don't  see  what 
people  write  for,  if  it  is  n't  to  get  money.  Some 
authors  get  a  cent  a  word,  and  there  are  ever 
and  ever  so  many  words  in  a  book." 

Mrs.  Farrington  rose. 

"  Peggy,  you  have  been  reading  the  Advice 
to  Young  Authors  columns.  They  never  tell  the 
truth.  But  even  if  they  did,  child,  no  writer 
worthy  of  the  name  works  merely  for  the 
money." 

"  What,  then  ?  "  Peggy  asked  incredulously. 

"  Because  she  has  something  to  say  that  seems 
to  her  worth  the  saying." 

Peggy's  next  question  hit  the  bull's-eye. 

"  But,  even  after  you  've  said  it,  how  do  you 
know  it  is  worth  saying  ? " 

Mrs.  Farrington  suddenly  changed  her  mind 
and  sat  down  again. 

"  We  don't,  Peggy.  We  can  only  do  the 
very  best  that 's  in  us,  and  then  abide  by  the 
consequences." 

"  But  I  want  to  write,"  Peggy  reiterated 
thoughtfully. 

"Why?" 

"  I  must  do  something.  I  get  tired  of  myself 
and  everybody  else,  unless  I  keep  busy." 


86  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

"  But  why  write  ? "  Mrs.  Farrington  per- 
sisted. 

The  answer  was  unexpected. 

"  Because  it  is  clean  and  ladylike." 

"  If  that  is  all,  I  think  you  'd  better  try  some- 
thing else,  Peggy." 

"  I  don't  see  why.  I  may  be  inspired  without 
knowing  it.  You  said  only  just  now  that  you 
did  n't  know  you  had  any  inspiration." 

"  Peggy,  dear,  what  is  inspiration  ?  " 

Again  Peggy's  answer  was  unexpected. 

"  Something  that  makes  you  weep  over  what 
you  have  written,  even  before  the  ink  is 
dry." 

"  I  should  call  that  nothing  in  the  world  but 
hysterical  conceit,"  was  Mrs.  Farrington's  com- 
ment. "  Peggy,  what  do  you  suppose  are  the 
only  three  things  needed  for  a  novel  ? " 

Peggy  shook  her  head. 

"  I  don't  know." 

"  An  idea,  grit  enough  to  do  a  great  deal  of 
hard,  grinding  drudgery,  and  conscience  enough 
not  to  write  anything  that  you  know  is  harmful." 

"  Hm !  "  Peggy  commented.  "  If  that 's  all, 
I  think  I  may  as  well  begin.  I  can  do  that  as 
well  as  anybody  else." 

"  Perhaps.      Time   will   show."      Then   she 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  87 

bent  forward  and  took  the  girl's  hand  into  her 
own.  "  Peggy,  dear,  I  believe  you  are  a  little 
homesick." 

"  Yes.    But  how  did  you  know  ?  " 

"  When  a  girl  of  your  age  gets  restless  and 
wants  to  take  a  profession,  there  is  always  some- 
thing wrong.  Sometimes  it 's  digestion,  some- 
times it  is  nothing  at  all  but  discontent.  Your 
digestion  is  perfect.  Why  are  n't  you  happy 
here?" 

"  Because  I  don't  count  for  anything  to  any 
of  you." 

"  Not  even  to  Harry  ?  " 

"  Not  enough  to  say  so." 

"  Peggy,  only  last  night  he  was  talking  to  me 
about  you.  He  told  me  of  some  long  walks  you 
had  been  taking  together,  and  he  said  he  had 
had  no  idea  what  a  companionable  girl  you 
were." 

"  Companionable  ?  Yes.  But  let  Nathalie 
come  in  sight  and  he  forgets  all  about  compan- 
ioning me." 

"  Do  you  wonder  ?  " 

"  No,  I  don't  know  as  I  do.  Nathalie  is 
good.  I  'm  not." 

"  That  was  n't  what  I  meant.  Nathalie  and 
Harry  have  been  together,  all  the  time  for  the 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER 


last  few  years.  You  have  been  away  from  him, 
and  —  " 

"  Whose  fault  was  it,  I  'd  like  to  know," 
Peggy  interrupted. 

"  Nobody's  fault.  Necessity  made  it.  But 
Harry  has  grown  to  depend  on  Nathalie '  for 
everything." 

"  I  should  just  say  he  had,"  Peggy  grumbled. 
"  I  don't  count  for  a  row  of  pins." 

"  I  'm  not  so  sure.  Even  if  you  don't,  though, 
the  remedy  is  within  your  reach." 

"How?" 

"  By  making  yourself  as  dependable  as 
Nathalie." 

"  She  was  born  so.    I  was  n't." 

"  Then  grow  so." 

"  I  can't.  Goodness  does  n't  come  natural  to 
me,  Mrs.  Farrington." 

"  Acquire  it,  then." 

Peggy  eyed  her  despairingly. 

"  You  don't  know  anything  about  it,"  she 
broke  out.  "  You  never  were  bad,  real  down- 
right ugly,  in  your  life." 

"  Were  you  ?  " 

"  Yes,  lots  of  times,"  Peggy  confessed,  in  a 
sudden  wave  of  contrition.  "  I  don't  go  to  do 
it.  It  just  does  itself.  You  people  that  are 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  89 

always  so  good,  and  so  meek,  and  so  ladylike, 
don't  have  much  mercy  on  a  girl  like  me." 

She  had  pulled  away  her  hand,  and  she  now 
sat  with  her  elbows  on  her  knees,  her  chin  in 
her  palms,  scowling  thoughtfully  out  across  the 
lawn.  Mrs.  Farrington  watched  her  in  silence 
for  a  moment. 

"  Peggy,"  she  said  then ;  "  there  are  a  good 
many  episodes  of  my  own  girlhood  that  I  would 
like  to  forget;  but  they  won't  be  forgotten. 
There  are  whole  weeks  at  a  time  that  I  would 
cross  out  if  I  could ;  but  I  can't.  I  imagine  that 
is  the  case  with  most  girls.  But  I  was  n't  as 
steady  and  as  thoughtful  as  I  might  have  been ; 
my  temper  used  to  run  away  with  me  again  and 
again.-  What  do  you  suppose  steadied  me  more 
than  anything  else  ?  " 

"  I  'm  sure  I  don't  know."  Peggy  spoke 
slowly,  her  eyes  still  on  the  farther  side  of  the 
lawn. 

"  The  loyalty  of  my  brother  Hubert,  and  the 
finding  out,  all  at  once,  that  Mr.  Farrington 
counted  on  me  as  he  did.  For  two  or  three 
years,  when  I  first  knew  him,  he  was  an  invalid, 
tied  to  a  couch  and  a  wheeled  chair.  We  grew 
to  be  such  good  friends,  and  I  found  out  that  he 
needed  me,  missed  me  when  I  forgot  him,  was 


90  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

hurt  when  I  was  cross,  and  blue  when  I  left  him 
alone." 

"  Yes,  but  that  was  different  from  most  cases. 
He  could  n't  get  anybody  else,"  Peggy  com- 
mented unflatteringly.  "  But  I  have  n't  any- 
body like  that." 

"  Not  just  like  that.  But  what  about 
Harry?" 

"Hal?" 

"Yes." 

"  My  brother  Harry  ?  "  The  accent  was 
incredulous. 

"  Yes.  He  needs  you,  Peggy.  He  would 
count  on  you,  if  you  would  let  him." 

"  I  'd  like  to  see  him.  It 's  Nathalie  that  he 
wants." 

"  Peggy,"  Mrs.  Farrington  asked  suddenly ; 
"  are  you  jealous  ?  " 

"  Of  Nathalie  ?  Not  much !  She  has  her 
place;  I  have  mine.  Her  place  is  with  Hal; 
mine  is  n't." 

"  Her  place  now  is  with  Mac.  In  a  way, 
Harry  is  left  alone.  He  knows  it,  too.  You  are 
the  only  person  in  the  world  who  can  stop  that 
loneliness." 

"  How,  then  ?  "  Peggy's  tone  was  a  little 
incredulous. 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  91 

"  Just  as  Nathalie  did  when  she  was  your 
age.  Care  for  his  interests.  Talk  over  his  work 
with  him,  and,  what 's  more,  talk  over  your  own 
play.  Ask  his  advice  about  your  plans,  and4 
before  long  he  will  be  asking  your  advice  about 
his.  Peggy,  you  are  n't  a  child  any  longer.  In 
some  ways  you  are  a  good  deal  of  a  woman. 
Every  man  needs  a  woman  to  help  him  along. 
She  need  n't  be  related  to  him ;  but  it  is  better 
if  she  is.  One  of  the  sweetest  relations  of  all 
is  between  brother  and  sister;  but,  in  the  very 
first  of  it,  it  must  be  made  by  the  sister.  It  was 
Nathalie,  not  Harry,  who  made  the  first  ad- 
vances. It  must  be  you." 

"  How  do  you  know  he  wants  them  made  ?  " 

"  Because  he  is  lonely  for  Nathalie,  —  for 
the  old  Nathalie  who  was  all  in  all  to  him; 
because  he  is  delicate  and  depressed." 

"  What  depresses  him  ?  " 

"  The  knowing  that  he  is  n't  strong,  and  that, 
every  single  day,  he  must  work  a  little  beyond 
the  limit  of  his  strength." 

"  What  does  he  work  so  hard  for  ?  "  she  asked 
restively.  "  I  don't  see  any  need  for  it." 

"  Who  else  would  pay  Ralph's  bills  in  An- 
dover,  and  buy  your  gowns,  and  get  things  for 
Fizzums  ? " 


92  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

Peggy  looked  rather  aghast. 

"  I  never  thought  much  about  all  that,"  she 
said  slowly.  "  The  money  always  came,  after 
a  fashion;  and  I  supposed,  as  much  as  I  ever 
stopped  to  suppose  anything  at  all,  that  Hal 
worked  himself  to  death  just  for  the  pleasure  of 
working." 

Mrs.  Farrington  shook  her  head. 

"  Then  the  long  and  the  short  of  the  matter 
is  that  I  Ve  been  acting  like  a  pig,"  Peggy  burst 
out  penitently.  "  But  how  could  I  know  with- 
out being  told?  I  suppose  I  ought  to  have 
known  it.  I  did  n't,  though."  She  pondered 
the  situation  for  a  minute  or  two.  Then  she 
asked  abruptly,  "  Mrs.  Farrington,  do  you  think 
Hal  would  ever  care  about  a  thorny  thing  like 
me?" 

"  He  does  care  now,  Peggy." 

"  Care  as  he  used  to  care  for  Nathalie  ?  " 

"  Sometimes  the  sweetest  and  spiciest  roses 
have  the  sharpest  thorns,"  Mrs.  Farrington  sug- 
gested, with  a  smile. 

"  I  'm  no  rose.  I  'm  a  bramble.  Truly,  if 
I  made  the  advances  you  tell  about,  Hal  would 
dodge  out  of  my  way." 

"  Try  him  and  see." 

"I  would,  only  —  " 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  93 

"Only  what?" 

"  What  makes  you  think  it 's  in  me  to  make 
them  at  all  ?  " 

"  Because,  under  the  brambles,  you  're  very 
much  of  a  woman,"  Mrs.  Farrington  answered 
quietly. 

"  Me  ?    Who  said  so  ?  " 

"  My  brother,  for  one  person." 

"  Mr.  Hubert  ?  "  Peggy's  hands  dropped 
into  her  lap,  and  she  turned  sharply  to  face 
her  companion. 

"  Yes." 

"  What  does  he  know  about  it  ?  "  she  queried 
blankly. 

Mrs.  Farrington  laughed. 

"  Did  n't  he  help  bring  me  up  ?  And,  besides 
that,  you  were  in  his  office  every  day  for  two 
weeks." 

"  Yes,  and  I  did  have  such  a  good  time," 
Peggy  sighed  regretfully. 

"  So  did  he." 

Her  face  grew  eager. 

"  Did  he  like  it,  too  ?  " 

"  So  much  so  that  he  spoke  to  me  about  it." 

"  I  wish  it  had  lasted  longer,"  Peggy  said, 
with  a  second  sigh. 

"Why  did  n't  it?" 


94  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

"  His  finger  grew  up,  and  his  clerk  came 
back." 

"  Why  not  go  back  there  ?  " 

"  He  does  n't  need  me." 

"But  if  he  did?" 

"  And  you  say  Hal  does."  Her  tone  was  still 
regretful. 

Mrs.  Farrington  took  a  sudden  decision. 

"  Not  in  the  same  way,  not  for  so  much  time. 
One  need  n't  hinder  the  other.  Now,  Peggy, 
my  brother  says  you  are  one  of  the  best  helpers 
he  has  ever  had.  If  he  should  find  that  he  still 
needed  you  for  a  part  of  each  day,  would  you 
go  back  into  the  office  and  spoil  your  lazy 
summer  ? " 

Peggy's  hands  shut,  thumbs  out. 

"Oh,  if  I  could!" 

"  I  think  you  can.  I  will  ask  him,  to-night, 
and  see  what  he  says." 

Peggy  looked  up  sharply. 

"  Now  don't  you  go  to  cramming  me  down  his 
throat,"  she  objected.  "  Mr.  Hubert  is  so  good 
to  me,  he  'd  take  me  and  make  something  for  me 
to  do,  if  he  thought  I  wanted  it.  That 's  not 
what  I  do  want,  though.  People  must  really 
need  me  and  want  me,  or  else  I  am  somewhere 
else." 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  95 

Mrs.  Farrington  answered  her  with  perfect 
gravity. 

"  I  know  what  you  mean,  Peggy,  and  I  should 
feel  just  as  you  do.  I  can  make  my  brother 
understand,  I  know ;  but  I  think  he  will  be  glad 
to  have  you." 

Peggy  drew  a  long  breath. 

"  Mrs.  Farrington,"  she  said  slowly ;  "  I  'm 
afraid  you  must  change  your  mind  now  about 
your  having  real  inspirations." 

Mrs.  Farrington  smiled  down  at  the  brighten- 
ing face. 

"  No  inspiration,  Peggy,  only  a  little  com- 
mon sense  and  a  good  deal  of  experience.  As  a 
rule,  a  healthy  girl  detests  being  idle.  I  wonder, 
though,  whether  you  won't  find  this  as  satis- 
factory as  writing  books." 

Peggy  rose  and  stood  beside  her. 

"  I  '11  wait  till  I  have  tried  them  both,"  she 
answered,  laughing.  "  One  is  as  clean  as  the 
other  and  as  ladylike.  I  'm  not  sure,  though, 
that  it  is  as  profitable  or  as  exciting;  but  I  am 
going  to  try  them  both,  and  judge  for  myself." 


96  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 


CHAPTER   EIGHT 

OVER  the  western  slope  of  The  Savins  the 
afternoon  sunshine  lay  in  heavy  yellow 
bands  between  the  tall  trees.  The  strip  of  salt 
marsh  and  the  open  country  beyond  it  glowed 
in  the  clear  yellow  light,  and  the  one  distant 
glimpse  of  blue  sea  glittered  with  silver  re- 
flections from  the  crests  of  the  waves.  Birds 
wheeled  to  and  fro  in  the  air  and  chittered  in 
the  trees,  where  the  squirrels  waged  with  them 
their  daily  war  for  possession.  Everything  was 
full  of  life  and  sunshine  and  content,  except 
Peggy  Arterburn  and  Sophia  Smith. 

Thrown  face  downward  on  the  soft  moss,  her 
tear-stained  face  resting  on  her  crossed  arms, 
Peggy  lay  motionless,  save  for  the  long  sobs  that 
now  and  then  shook  her  whole  lithe  body.  Be- 
side her,  her  face  full  of  anxious  consternation, 
her  lips  drooping  sorrowfully,  and  one  ear  tilted 
rakishly  upward  across  her  brow,  Sophia  Smith 
sat  in  sympathetic  silence.  Even  to  her  puppy 
soul  it  was  plainly  apparent  that  something  was 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  97 

wrong.  She  was  full  of  pity;  nevertheless  it 
was  impossible  for  her  to  express  that  pity  save 
by  the  somewhat  inadequate  method  of  licking 
away  the  tears  as  fast  as  they  came.  She  had 
tried  that  method.  It  had  not  only  eased  her 
mind,  but  she  had  discovered  that  salty  water, 
taken  in  moderation,  tasted  good  on  a  hot  day. 
Accordingly  she  had  licked  again,  too  greedily 
this  time,  with  the  discouraging  result  that  her 
young  mistress  had  rolled  over  on  her  face.  For 
a  minute  or  two  longer,  the  soft  tongue  had  pried 
into  Peggy's  neck,  into  her  ears,  twined  itself 
through  a  loophole  of  the  sheltering  arms.  Then 
Sophia  had  given  up  in  despair.  Sympathy 
and  salt  water  alike  were  beyond  her  reach.  She 
removed  herself  to  Peggy's  feet,  where  she  sat 
watching,  an  anxious  frown  furrowing  her  dust- 
colored  brow. 

Suddenly  her  tail  uncurled  itself  and  began 
to  thump  the  moss,  while  she  gave  a  little 
soprano  bark  of  welcome.  The  next  minute, 
Ursula  came  strolling  along  the  crest  of  the  hill, 
crooning  happily  to  herself. 

Peggy's  head  nestled  more  closely  into  the 
moss,  as  if,  ostrich-like,  she  hoped  to  avoid 
observation. 

"Why,  Peggy!" 

7 


98  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

There  was  no  answer. 

"  Down,  Sophia !  Charge,  or  whatever  you 
call  it !  Peggy,  is  something  wrong  ?  " 

Peggy's  arms  closed  over  her  head,  and  her 
nose  buried  itself  among  the  roots  of  the  moss. 

Ursula  came  a  step  nearer.  Her  brow  was 
wrinkled  with  an  anxiety  akin  to  that  of  Sophia, 
who,  now  that  her  hospitable  greeting  had  been 
given,  had  returned  to  her  seat  beside  Peggy's 
heels. 

"  Peggy,  dear,  what  is  it  ?  Is  something 
wrong  ? "  Ursula  asked  again,  as,  casting  aside 
the  greenish  white  clovers  in  her  hand,  she 
dropped  down  at  Peggy's  side. 

"  Yes." 

"  What  is  it «  " 

"  I  'm  not  going  to  tell  you."  There  was  a 
hostile  accent  on  the  final  word. 

"Why  not?" 

"  Because  you  'd  walk  straight  off  and  tell 
Nathalie." 

"  Not  if  you  did  n't  want  me  to." 

"  You  would,  too.  You  tell  her  everything. 
And  Eex,  too." 

"  Perhaps  Rex  does.    I  don't." 

"  I  don't  mean  that,  Ursula  Thain." 

In  the  acuteness  of  her  exasperation,  Peggy 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  99 

lifted  her  nose  from  the  ground,  disclosing  a 
tear-streaked  face  dappled  with  bits  of  earth 
and  dried  moss.  Sophia  licked  her  lips  hungrily 
at  the  sight,  while  Ursula  made  a  brave  struggle 
against  her  sense  of  humor. 

"  What  do  you  mean,  then  ? "  she  asked,  as 
soon  as  she  dared  to  speak. 

Again  the  answer  came,  moss-ruffled. 

"  I  mean  that  you  tell  Eex  Barrett  every- 
thing, every  single  thing  that  stirs." 

"  But  I  don't,  Peggy." 

With  a  bounce  as  sudden  as  if  some  one  had 
touched  a  hidden  spring,  Peggy  sat  up. 

"  Who  told  him  about  the  target  ?  "  she  de- 
manded. 

This  time  Ursula  laughed,  not,  however,  at 
Peggy,  but  at  the  memory  which  Peggy's  words 
evoked.  The  day  before,  Sophia,  accidentally 
left  free  to  make  a  tour  of  discovery,  had  toured 
through  the  length  and  breadth  of  The  Savins, 
and  had  discovered  Peggy's  target,  fastened 
high  on  a  tree  trunk.  Something  in  the  gaudy 
colors  had  appealed  to  Sophia's  artistic  soul. 
Standing  on  her  hind  legs,  she  had  stretched 
herself  to  the  full  of  her  elastic  length,  and  then, 
with  infinite  dexterity  and  infinite  toil,  she  had 
succeeded  in  possessing  herself  of  her  unwieldy 


100  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

booty.  Once  it  was  in  her  possession,  she  had 
lost  no  time  in  reducing  it  to  its  elements.  It 
had  taken  Peggy  a  long  hour  to  rake  up  the 
scattered  stuffing;  but,  save  for  a  gaudy  tatter 
hanging  from  Sophia's  lips,  the  covering  had 
vanished  as  completely  as  the  roses  of  yester- 
year. The  next  day,  however,  the  chain  of 
evidence  was  lengthened  by  Sophia's  mysterious 
and  acute  illness,  and  Ursula,  who  had  come 
upon  Peggy  in  the  midst  of  her  raking,  had 
not  been  slow  to  join  the  links  of  the  chain. 
For  three  long  hours,  it  seemed  that  Sophia's 
puppy  life  was  about  to  be  ended.  At  last, 
however,  Mac  rose  to  his  feet,  drew  a  deep 
breath,  and  turned  down  his  sleeves. 

"  There,  Nathalie,"  he  said,  and  his  voice 
was  triumphant ;  "  I  never  worked  harder  over 
a  human  baby  in  my  life;  but,  in  a  case  like 
this,  it  is  the  work  that  tells.  I  think  Sophia 
is  good  for  ten  years  yet;  but,  if  we  hadn't 
found  her  when  we  did,  ten  minutes  more  would 
have  been  the  finish  of  her." 

And  Nathalie  had  wiped  her  eyes,  and  then 
gone  in  search  of  Peggy.  An  hour  before, 
Kingsley  had  suggested  the  probable  cause  of 
Sophia's  illness.  While  his  suggestion  had  been 
of  use  to  Mac  in  helping  him  to  diagnose  the 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  101 

case,  it  had  also  been  the  cause  of  Peggy's  re- 
buke to  Ursula.  Ursula  sought  to  defend 
herself. 

"  But  that  is  only  one  thing,  Peggy." 

"What  if  'tis  n't?  It's  enough.  Besides, 
straws  show  the  way  the  wind  blows." 

"  Yes,  I  noticed  that,  yesterday,  while  you 
were  raking  them  up,"  Ursula  responded 
irrepressibly. 

With  a  second  bounce,  Peggy  once  more  buried 
her  face  in  the  moss. 

"  Yes,  that 's  just  the  way !  "  she  lamented 
brokenly. 

Ursula  looked  puzzled. 

"  What  way  ?  " 

"  The  way  you  all  make  fun  of  me." 

"  But,  Peggy,  we  don't.  Now  that  Sophia 
is  all  right  again,  even  you  must  see  how  funny 
it  all  was." 

"  For  my  part,  I  can't  see  any  fun.  I  'm 
glad  you  can,"  Peggy  returned  haughtily,  as 
she  sat  up  again  and  wiped  her  eyes.  "  But 
you  thought  things,  and  then  you  had  to  rush 
off  and  tell  them  to  Rex.  He  told  Nathalie,  and 
now  —  " 

"Now?" 

"  Now  Nathalie  has  been  scolding  my  ears 


102  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

off,"  Peggy  said  hotly.  "  It 's  all  your  fault, 
too." 

"  My  fault  ?  I  did  n't  feed  your  old  target 
to  the  dog,  and,  what 's  more,  I  don't  believe 
Nathalie  ever  scolded  you  in  her  life,"  Ursula 
responded,  with  equal  heat. 

"  That  shows  you  don't  know  anything  about 
it."  With  a  jerk  Peggy  tightened  the  ribbon  on 
her  hair. 

"  I  know  Nathalie  Arterburn  well  enough 
to  know  that,  if  she  scolded  you,  you  richly 
deserved  it,"  Ursula  answered,  with  some 
spirit. 

"  I  did  not  deserve  it.  I  tell  you,  you 
don't  know  anything  about  it.  You  were  n't 
there." 

"  What  did  she  say  ?  " 

"  All  sorts  of  cruel  things." 

Ursula  cast  a  stick  in  the  direction  of  Sophia, 
who,  still  languid  from  her  recent  illness, 
watched  it  with  indifference,  then  turned  her 
brown  eyes  back  to  her  young  mistress. 

"  Nathalie  is  never  cruel,"  Ursula  said 
shortly. 

"  She  was  then.  She  began  to  scold  me,  with- 
out asking  me  a  question  how  it  happened." 

"  How  what  happened  ?  " 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  103 

"  Sophia  and  the  target,  of  course.  Anybody 
with  some  sense  would  know  what  I  was  talking 
about.  She  said  I  was  careless,  and  —  and  —  " 

Ursula  eyed  her  meditatively. 

"  Well,  you  were,"  she  said. 

"  I  was  not." 

"  Then  how  did  she  get  loose  ?  " 

"  I  untied  her." 

"And  forgot  her?" 

"  N —  not  exactly.  Harry  called  me  off,  and 
I  did  n't  go  back  for  a  little  while." 

"  Oh,  but  I  suppose  you  kept  thinking  of 
Sophia  all  the  time  you  were  gone." 

In  the  face  of  Ursula's  mockery,  Peggy  cast 
veracity  to  the  winds. 

"  Certainly,"  she  answered,  with  crushing 
dignity. 

Again  Ursula  laughed. 

"  I  suppose  that 's  some  of  the  Christian  Sci- 
ence you  got  from  Miss  Eudora.  You  gave 
Sophia  absent  treatment  to  keep  her  from  run- 
ning away.  Well,  it  worked  as  well  as  most 
absent  treatment  does." 

Peggy  rose  to  her  feet.  Sophia  rose  also  and 
ranged  alongside.  Peggy's  brown  hand  shook 
a  little,  as  it  lay  on  the  dog's  shaggy  neck. 

"  Ursula,"  she  said,  with  a  sudden  quiet  dig- 


104  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

nity ;  "  if  all  you  can  do  is  to  make  fun  of  me, 
I  think  we  have  talked  long  enough." 

Ursula's  face  changed  at  the  tone. 

"  Come  back  here,  Peggy,'.'  she  said. 

"  No.     I  am  going  into  the  house." 

"  Please  don't  go  yet.  I  'm  sorry  I  laughed 
at  you ;  I  did  n't  suppose  you  would  care.  I  'm 
a  good  deal  more  sorry,  though,  to  have  made 
you  get  a  scolding." 

"  And  yet  you  think  I  deserved  it."  s 

"  Yes,  I  do.  Still,  that 's  no  reason  I  should 
mix  up  in  it.  I  did  n't  suppose  there  would  be 
any  harm  in  my  saying  what  I  thought,  and  I 
don't  suppose  Rex  did,  either." 

Peggy's  chin  stiffened. 

"  It 's  generally  better  to  let  other  people's 
affairs  alone." 

"  I  know  that ;  so  do  we  all.  But  we  keep 
on  mixing  up  in  them.  I  did  n't  tell  Rex  that 
I  thought  you  were  careless,  Peggy.  That  came 
from  somewhere  else  along  the  line." 

"  From  Rex,  most  likely,"  Peggy  said,  with  a 
sudden  wave  of  hostility. 

"  No,  I  don't  think  so." 

"  Then  from  Nathalie.  It 's  twice  mean 
from  her,  for  she  ought  to  be  grateful  to  me  for 
training  her  everlasting  old  puppy." 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  105 

"  She  is." 

Peggy  cast  herself  down  on  the  ground  again 
with  a  sudden  flop. 

"  Well,  she  ought  to  be.  She  would  n't  have 
any  sort  of  sense  about  it,  herself." 

"  You  are  doing  it  well,  Peggy.  Where  did 
you  learn  it  ?  " 

Peggy  answered  more  quietly,  for  she  was 
somewhat  mollified  by  Ursula's  tone  of  ad- 
miration. 

"  Froebel,"  she  replied  concisely. 

"Who?" 

"  Froebel.  I  am  bringing  her  up  according 
to  kindergarten  ideas,"  Peggy  explained  loftily. 

"  Really  ?    How  did  you  learn  them  ?  " 

"  From  Fizzums.  He  went  to  a  kindergarten 
for  a  few  months  once,  and  some  of  it  was 
awfully  funny." 

"  But  I  thought  kindergarten  meant  braiding 
paper  mats  and  sewing  pricked  cardboard," 
Ursula  said  a  little  blankly. 

"  Oh,  that 's  only  part.  Sophia  does  n't  do 
that  part." 

"  What  does  she  do,  then  ?  " 

"  Not  get  whipped,  and  make  her  lessons  into 
games,  like  jumping  fences  for  a  biscuit,  and 
suggesting  new  ideas  to  her,  and  changing  them 
very  often." 


106  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

"  Oh !    And  you  teach  Sophia  that  ?  " 

"Yes."  Suddenly  Peggy  bent  over  and  buried 
her  face  in  the  hairy  side.  "  It  works,  too.  She 
knows  I  love  her  and  am  trying  to  make  her 
grow  up  good,  and  she  '11  let  me  do  anything 
with  her." 

"  Even  to  taking  a  bone  away  from  her  ?  " 

"  Of  course."  Peggy's  accent  was  scornful. 
"  I  could  take  a  whole  shank  of  beef  away  from 
her,  and  she  would  n't  make  the  least  bit  of 
fuss." 

Ursula  nodded  in  approval. 

"  You  are  doing  well  with  her,  Peggy." 

"  Then  at  least  my  summer  is  n't  being  alto- 
gether wasted,"  Peggy  said  rather  grudgingly. 

"  Who  said  it  was  ? "  Ursula  demanded  in 
astonishment,  as  Peggy's  mood  went  off  on  this 
fresh  tack. 

"  Nobody.  One  does  n't  have  to  be  told 
facts." 

"  But  it  is  n't  a  fact." 

"  Yes,  it  is,  too." 

"  And  besides,  when  it  comes  to  that,  are  n't 
we  all  wasting  our  summers  ?  " 

"  You  are  supposed  to  be  resting,  and  so  are 
the  boys." 

"Well,  aren't  you?" 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  107 

"  No.  I  'm  not  resting,  for  the  simple  reason 
that  I  'm  not  aware  of  being  tired." 

"  And  then  you  are  the  only  one  of  us  all 
who  pretends  to  do  anything,"  Ursula  urged, 
still  trying  to  console  the  feelings  of  her  refrac- 
tory companion. 

"What  do  I  do?" 

"  Spend  your  mornings  in  Mr.  McAlister'a 
office." 

For  the  moment,  Peggy's  face  cleared. 

"  Oh,  that 's  not  work,"  she  said. 

"  Why  not  ?  " 

"  Because  we  have  a  fine  time  doing  it." 

"  Well,  your  ideas  of  a  fine  time  and  mine 
don't  match  very  well,"  Ursula  observed.  "  It 
would  n't  be  my  ideal  of  bliss  to  spend  these 
lovely  mornings  on  an  office  stool,  copying  briefs 
and  wills  and  things." 

"  That 's  all  you  know  about  it.  I  sit  in  a 
chair,  —  a  swivel  chair  with  arms,  —  and  I 
copy  contracts." 

"  Well,  copy  poems  about  death,  if  you  choose. 
What  I  mean  is  that  I  should  hate  the  being 
shut  up  and  the  copying  things." 

Peggy  lifted  her  chin. 

"  That 's  because  you  don't  know  Mr.  Mc- 
Alister,"  she  said,  with  crushing  finality. 


108  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

"  No,"  Ursula  said ;    "  I  don't.     I  'm  not  so 
sure  that  I  want  to,  either." 

The  blood  rushed  to  Peggy's  cheeks. 

"  I  should  like  to  know  why  ?  "  she  demanded. 

"  Because  I  am  most  mortally  afraid  of  him," 
Ursula  confessed. 

Peggy's  face  relaxed  something  of  its  se- 
verity. 

"  But  don't  you  admire  him  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  Ye — es,  as  one  admires  John  Quincy 
Adams  and  the  Apostle  Paul." 

It  was  Peggy's  turn  to  be  perplexed. 

"  What  in  the  world  are  you  driving  at, 
Ursula?" 

"  That  he  is  too  good,  and  too  calm  and 
respectable." 

"  He  's  no  such  thing."  Then  Peggy's  face 
relaxed  still  more.  "  But  that  is  because  you 
don't  understand  him,  Ursula,"  she  explained. 
"  I  used  to  feel  that  way,  before  I  really  knew 
him.  Now  I  think  he  is  the  nicest  person 
here." 

"Nicer  than  Sophia  Smith?"  Ursula 
asked,  in  no  wise  vexed  at  Peggy's  accent  of 
superiority. 

But  Peggy's  serenity  was  not  as  yet  suffi- 
ciently deep-seated  to  be  proof  against  teasing. 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  109 

"  What  a  dunce  you  are,  Ursula !  "  she  said 
sharply. 

"  Thank  you.  Is  there  anything  else  you 
would  like  to  say  ?  " 

"  Yes.    I  think  you  are  a  meddlesome  minx." 

"  Anything  else  ?  "  Ursula's  drawl  was  not 
calculated  to  placate  an  angry  soul. 

"  Yes.  You  are  the  most  disagreeable  person 
I  ever  saw,  and  I  don't  see  how  Hal  can  endure 
to  have  you  around." 

"  You  mean  you  think  I  am  the  most  dis- 
agreeable," Ursula  corrected  blandly.  "  Any- 
thing else  ?  " 

"  No.     You  're  not  worth  talking  to." 

"  Then  I  '11  take  my  turn ;  it 's  only  fair." 
Her  tone  lost  its  drawl  and  became  incisive. 
Arterburn,  I  think  you  are  very 


cross. 

M 


I  don't  care  what  you  think." 
"  And  I  think  you  are  very  selfish." 
"  Think  away,  if  you  want  to." 
"  And  I  think  you  are  very  rude." 
"What  of  it?" 
"  And  I  think  you  are  old  enough  to  know 

better." 

"  Suppose  I  am  ?    It 's  not  your  place  to  tell 

me  so." 


110  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

"  And  I  think,  if  you  keep  on,  you  won't  have 
a  friend  left  in  the  world." 

"  How  do  you  know  I  have  any  now  ?  " 

The  unruffled  insolence  of  Peggy's  manner 
was  maddening.  Ursula  yielded  to  it. 

"  I  think  that,  if  you  have  any  at  all,  you  Ve 
a  whole  lot  more  than  you  deserve,"  she  said 
angrily. 

The  scarlet  tide  rushed  up  to  the  roots  of 
Peggy's  hair.  Then  it  receded,  and  in  its  wake 
her  face  went  white  to  the  lips.  There  was  an 
interval  before  she  spoke.  Then  she  said 
quietly,  — 

"  I  had  supposed  I  had  just  two,  Hal  and 
Mr.  Hubert.  Now  I  don't  know  but  I  've  three, 
and  the  third  is  Ursula  Thain.  If  you  had 
minced  matters  any,  Ursula,  I  should  have  hated 
you,  hated  you  with  all  my  might.  As  it  is, 
I  rather  like  you.  It  was  n't  any  of  your  busi- 
ness to  interfere,  and  it  was  n't  good  manners 
to  sit  down  in  cold  blood  and  tell  me  what  you 
think  of  me.  You  're  like  an  emergency  doctor 
that  comes  of  his  own  accord  and  gives  a  horrid 
great  pill.  Still,  I  should  n't  wonder  at  all  if 
the  pill  did  me  good."  As  she  spoke,  she  looked 
up  to  meet  Ursula's  brown  eyes  with  eyes  that 
held  no  cloud  of  bitterness.  Then  she  laughed. 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  111 

"  And  what 's  more,"  she  added ;  -  "  I  should  n't 
wonder  at  all,  either,  if  you  sometimes  needed 
a  similar  pill  yourself." 

And  hand  in  hand  they  went  down  the  hill 
together,  with  Sophia  Smith  trudging  neglected 
at  their  heels. 


112  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 


CHAPTER   NINE 

IN  spite  of  the  chorus  that  hailed  her  as  she 
passed  the  veranda,  Peggy  went  her  way. 
Under  her  arm  was  a  portfolio,  over  her  arm 
was  a  rug,  and  at  her  heels  was  the  omnipresent 
Sophia  Smith,  dangling  along  like  an  enormous 
chatelaine  at  the  end  of  her  chain.  The  group 
on  the  veranda  was  too  remote  from  Peggy's 
pathway  to  see  the  pen  rampant  in  her  hair  and 
the  determined  light  in  her  eyes.  ; 

"  What  do  you  suppose  it  is  now  ?  "  Kingsley 
inquired  from  the  hammock. 

"  There 's  never  any  telling.  It  may  be 
letters;  it  may  be  she  is  going  to  write  out  a 
list  of  directions  concerning  the  exercise  of 
Sophia  Smith,"  Mac  responded. 

"  Does  n't  it  ever  remind  you  of  '  Mary  had 
a  little  Lamb  '  ?  "  Nathalie  asked.  "  But  when 
I  took  Sophia,  I  fondly  imagined  that  I  was 
going  to  have  a  dog  to  play  with.  Now  Peggy 
has  assumed  such  strict  control  that  I  feel  as  if 
I  ought  n't  to  interfere." 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  113 

"  She  is  bringing  her  up  well,  though,"  Mac 
said  defensively. 

"  Too  well.  Sophia  is  growing  in  grace  and 
goodness.  Still,  it  is  a  new  idea  that  a  puppy 
can't  have  a  bedtime  romp  because  it  makes  her 
too  nervous  to  sleep,  and  that  she  must  be  tucked 
up  in  a  blanket  when  she  comes  in  warm  from 
a  run." 

"  How  is  her  appetite  ?  "  John  asked. 

"  Superb ;  but  even  there  Peggy  reigns  su- 
preme. Jack  Myers,  that  poor,  defenceless 
animal,  is  brought  up,  day  in  and  day  out,  on 
porridge,  nothing  but  porridge.  Peggy  sees 
to  it,  herself,  boils  up  a  fresh  supply,  every 
morning.  She  nearly  took  my  head  off,  yester- 
day, when  she  found  me  feeding  Sophia  a  slice 
of  stale  cake." 

"  Let  her  work,"  Kingsley  advised  indo- 
lently. "  It  can't  more  than  kill  the  dog,  and 
it  keeps  Peggy  amused.  Likewise,  it  keeps  her 
out  of  our  way." 

"  Now,  Rex,"  Nathalie  protested ;  "  do  have 
a  little  regard  for  the  possible  feelings  of 
Peggy's  relatives." 

Kingsley  sat  up,  Turkwise,  in  the  hammock, 
and  clasped  an  ankle  in  either  hand. 

"  Oh,  come  down  off  your  injured  innocence, 
8 


114  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

Nathalie,"  he  admonished  her.  "  You  know 
yourself  that  Peggy  is  sometimes  a  trial." 

"  Do  you  know,  I  am  beginning  to  wonder 
whether  any  of  it  is  our  fault,"  Ursula  said 
bluntly. 

"  Of  course  not.  We  don't  have  faults." 
And,  having  disposed  of  the  matter  to  his  own 
entire  satisfaction,  Kingsley  stretched  himself 
out  at  full  length  again. 

"  No ;  but  really,"  Ursula  persisted.  "  I 
don't  mean  just  here.  It  began,  last  summer. 
We  treated  her  like  a  child,  and  gave  her  to 
understand  that  she  was  too  young  to  belong  to 
our  set.  I  don't  know  as  I  wonder  that  it  made 
her  turn  fractious." 

"  But  it  did  n't,"  Kingsley  objected  lazily. 

"  Yes,  I  think  it  did."  Ursula's  tone  was 
thoughtful. 

Kingsley  shook  his  head. 

"  No ;  born  so,"  he  returned  concisely. 

Ursula  turned  upon  him  with  unexpected 
warmth. 

"  Really,  Rex,  you  are  n't  fair  to  Peggy." 

"  Prove  it,"  he  advised  her. 

"  Well,  for  one  thing,  I  had  it  out  with  her 
yesterday  —  " 

"  Meaning  a  tooth  ?  "  her  cousin  inquired. 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  115 

Ursula  frowned. 

"  Jack,  don't  interrupt,  when  I  'm  in  earnest. 
In  fact,  it 's  better  not  to  interrupt  at  all,  unless 
you  have  something  worth  saying.  But  I  told 
Peggy  a  few  of  her  sins,  and  she  took  it 
superbly." 

"  Then  you  'd  better  get  to  work  on  the  bal- 
ance of  them,"  Kingsley  suggested. 

But  Ursula  shook  her  head. 

"  Laugh,  if  you  want  to,"  she  answered ;  "  but 
I  am  going  to  look  out  for  Peggy,  and,  what 's 
more,  Jack,  you  've  got  to  do  it,  too." 

Meanwhile,  the  subject  of  the  discussion  had 
made  her  way  to  her  favorite  refuge  under  a 
distant  oak  tree,  chained  Sophia  to  the  tree 
trunk,  and  spread  out  her  rug  on  the  moss. 
There  she  settled  herself,  with  her  back  against 
the  tree,  her  chin  in  her  hands,  and  her  elbows 
on  her  portfolio.  Sophia,  prostrate  at  her  side, 
thoughtfully  chewed  at  the  stick  which  Peggy 
had  provided  for  her  entertainment.  On  the 
level  ground  at  their  feet,  the  late  daisies  nodded 
in  the  breeze.  A  kingbird  over  their  heads 
scolded  shrilly,  and  a  procession  of  black  ants 
meandered  ceaselessly  to  and  fro  across  the  rug, 
across  Sophia's  flanks,  and  across  Peggy's  trim 
ankles.  And  still  Peggy  sat  motionless,  her 


116  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

brows  bent  into  a  frown,  her  eyes  fixed  upon 
the  trio  of  giant  chestnuts  in  the  middle  distance. 

All  at  once  her  brow  cleared.  In  her  relief, 
she  even  spoke  her  thoughts  aloud. 

"  I  don't  really  believe  there  's  any  use  in 
doing  the  first  chapter  now,"  she  observed.  "  I 
can  fill  that  in,  any  time,  and  I  might  as  well 
get  to  work  on  the  love  part.  That 's  easier, 
and  I  won't  need  to  take  so  much  pains  with  it, 
for  people  will  be  interested  in  it,  anyhow." 

She  was  silent  again,  and  sat  with  her  eyes 
fixed  on  a  patch  of  waving  grass  beside  her. 
The  heavy  brown  heads,  nodding  and  swaying 
on  their  thin  green  stalks,  held  her  attention 
fascinated  for  a  few  minutes.  Then  she  felt 
her  eyes  narrowing,  and,  rousing  herself,  she 
opened  her  inkstand  with  a  click.  The  click  in 
turn  aroused  Sophia  who  promptly  came  into 
collision  with  the  ink,  and  dyed  one  forepaw 
in  the  black  pool  which  trickled  down  into  the 
moss. 

"  Never  mind,  dear.  You  did  n't  mean  to 
be  bad.  You  can  lick  it  off,  and  I  've  enough 
left  for  to-day,"  Peggy  said  consolingly.  "  Oh, 
dear,  do°go  back  to  sleep.  How  can  I  do  any- 
thing, if  you  ramp  around  so  ?  " 

By  dint  of  much  persuasion,  Sophia  was  lulled 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  117 

to  sleep  again,  and  Peggy  opened  her  portfolio, 
dipped  her  pen,  and  once  more  fell  to  staring 
at  the  grass.  Sophia  stirred  slightly  in  her 
sleep,  and  Peggy,  bending  forward,  thought- 
fully wiped  her  pen  on  the  nearest  cushiony 
toe. 

"  Oh,  dear  me !  "  she  sighed.  "  How  do  you 
suppose  she  goes  to  work  to  begin  ? " 

But  beyond  a  sleepy  kick  in  the  direction  of 
the  ink,  Sophia  vouchsafed  no  reply,  and  Peggy 
returned  to  her  musing.  Her  frown  deepened 
and  grew  more  anxious.  From  time  to  time  she 
dipped  her  pen  with  an  energy  that  extorted  a 
discordant  scraping  from  the  bottom  of  her 
inkstand;  but,  save  for  a  decorative  border  of 
polyangular  pigs,  her  paper  stared  back  at  her 
blankly. 

"  Oh,  Sophia  Smith,  how  ever  shall  I  begin  ?" 
she  demanded  at  last. 

Sophia's  sleep  was  never  so  sound  as  to  deafen 
her  to  Peggy's  voice.  She  stirred,  stretched, 
then  licked  a  trio  of  new-made  pigs  into  inky 
formlessness.  The  next  minute,  her  inky  tongue 
descended  upon  Peggy's  nose.  With  a  patience 
shown  to  no  one  else,  Peggy  gently  pushed  the 
dog  away. 

"  There,  Sophia !     That  will  do.     You  don't 


118  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

help  me  any.  Or  do  you  mean  that  I  am  to  stop 
drawing  pigs  and  get  to  work  ?  " 

Sophia  yawned  politely.  She  was  still  rather 
sleepy,  and  the  conversation  struck  her  as  being 
too  abstract  to  be  interesting.  Peggy  kissed  her 
again,  this  time  on  the  bridge  of  her  nose ;  then 
she  gripped  her  will  with  both  hands,  roused 
herself  from  her  lethargy,  and  set  to  work. 

An  hour  later,  her  pen  was  tearing  madly 
over  the  paper.  A  pile  of  loose  sheets  lay  on  the 
moss  beside  her,  some  of  them  filled  on  both 
sides,  some  with  but  a  line  or  two,  as  if  the 
idea  had  suddenly  lost  coherence  and  had  been 
laid  away  for  another  time.  Little  dabs  of  ink 
dotted  them  here  and  there,  and  one  single  leaf 
was  adorned,  aside  from  its  four  lines  of  writ- 
ing, with  a  triple  rank  of  polyangular  pigs. 
Obviously,  at  that  point  Peggy's  Pegasus  had 
shown  an  inclination  to  balk. 

A  sudden  breeze  fluttered  the  pages  and  sent 
a  dozen  of  them  scurrying  off  up  the  hill.  With 
a  startled  exclamation,  Peggy  sprang  to  catch 
them,  chased  them  over  the  crest  of  the  slope, 
and  brought  them  back  in  triumph.  Her  ab- 
sence was  short;  nevertheless,  it  was  long 
enough  to  give  Sophia  time  to  develop  a  taste 
for  literature.  Peggy  dropped  down  on  the  rug 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  119 

again  to  find  her  last  sheet  licked  into  an  inky 
puddle,  and  beside  it  Sophia,  seated  in  digni- 
fied silence,  with  the  lid  of  the  inverted  ink- 
stand delicately  held  in  her  bared  teeth.  Only 
her  bristly  beard  suggested  that,  next  time  her 
mistress  left  ink  in  the  way,  a  mustache  cup 
would  be  a  wise  receptacle. 

"Sophia!" 

At  the  rebuke,  Sophia  dropped  the  inkstand 
and  sought  to  appease  her  mistress  with  a  caress. 
Peggy  took  refuge  behind  a  corner  of  the  rug, 
and  Sophia,  mistaking  her  defensive  operations 
for  a  new  sort  of  game,  frisked  around  and 
around  the  tree  until  Peggy,  like  the  martyrs  of 
old,  was  securely  bound  to  the  stake.  Then, 
with  a  final  lunge  and  a  sweep  of  her  paw, 
Sophia  capsized  her  martyr  and,  removing  her- 
self to  the  brief  limit  of  her  chain,  sat  down 
to  see  what  happened  next. 

As  it  chanced,  it  was  Kingsley  Barrett  who 
happened. 

"  Hullo,  Peggy  Ann !  That  the  latest  thing 
in  ring  games  ? "  he  inquired  affably,  as  he 
sauntered  down  the  hill. 

For  the  once  Peggy  was  unable  to  stand  on 
her  dignity.  Prostrate  on  the  ground,  moored 
by  her  armpits  to  the  oak  tree  and  with  her 


120  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

heels  muffled  in  the  inky  rug,  she  was  discour- 
aged to  find  that,  in  this  hour  of  need,  her 
dignity  refused  to  yield  her  any  support. 

"  Oh,  Rex,  do  come  and  unfasten  Sophia," 
she  begged  him. 

Kingsley  paused  to  survey  the  group. 

"  It  strikes  me  it  would  be  a  good  deal  more 
to  the  point  to  unfasten  you,"  he  remarked 
coolly. 

"  Well,  anybody.  Do  hurry  up  and  not  be 
all  day  about  it,"  she  urged  impatiently. 

"  Oh,  no ;  I  '11  be  through  by  dinner  time," 
he  reassured  her. 

"  Yes ;  but  hurry !  "  She  emphasized  her 
words  by  a  futile  little  kick  into  the  heart  of 
the  rug. 

"  What >s  the  matter  ?    Are  n't  you  comfy  ? " 

"  Try  it,  yourself." 

"  I  don't  want  to.  I  'm  not  Froebelizing  a 
puppy.  Honestly,  Peggy,  if  I  were  in  your 
place,  I  would  n't  use  more  than  fifty  feet  of 
chain.  It  gets  in  knots,  you  know,  if  it  is  too 
long,  and  I  hate  to  pick  out  knots.  I  always 
did.  The  mater  always  used  to  unsnarl  my 
fish-lines  for  me,  when  I  was  a  kid." 

"  Kingsley  Barrett,  let  me  loose !  " 

"  All  in  good  time,  Peggy  Ann.    I  am  work- 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  121 

ing  as  hard  as  it  is  safe  for  me  to  work,  this  hot 
weather.  What  were  you  going  to  do,  when 
Sophia  interrupted  you  ?  " 

Peggy  deigned  to  give  no  reply.  With  her 
teeth  tight  shut,  she  held  her  peace  until,  the 
last  twist  unwound,  she  could  rise  to  her  feet. 
Then  she  stooped  to  gather  up  her  belongings. 

"  Thank  you,  Kingsley,"  she  said,  with 
crushing  brevity,  as  she  turned  away  in  the 
direction  of  the  house. 

That  same  evening,  the  entire  household  of 
The  Savins  was  grouped  on  the  east  veranda, 
when  Kingsley,  with  Ursula  at  his  side,  came 
across  the  broad  patches  of  yellow  moonlight 
that  spotted  the  smooth-cropped  lawn. 

"  Great  old  night ! "  he  observed,  as  he 
dropped  down  on  the  edge  of  the  veranda  at 
Nathalie's  feet.  "  Seen  any  stray  geniuses 
around  here  lately  ?  " 

"  Only  me.     Why  ?  "  Harry  asked. 

"  I  came  on  the  fresh  trail  of  one,  to-day ;  but 
you  need  n't  pose  for  it,  Hal.  It 's  not  your 
size." 

"  What  size  is  it,  then  ?  " 

"  Bouncing,  but  feminine,  I  should  say.  It 's 
not  always  easy  to  be  sure,  though." 

"  Where  was  it  ?  " 


122  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

"  That 's  telling." 

"  How  did  you  find  it  ?  " 

"  That 's  also  telling." 

"  What  was  it  ?  " 

"  This."  From  his  side  pocket  Kingsley  drew 
out  some  loose  sheets  of  paper  and  waved  them 
in  the  moonlight.  "  What 's  the  matter,  Peggy 
Ann  ?  Did  a  mosquito  bite  you  ?  " 

Peggy  had  drawn  in  her  breath  with  a  sharp 
catch.  Then  she  was  still,  utterly  ignoring 
Kingsley's  question. 

"Peggy  Ann?" 

"Yes?" 

"  Did  something  bite  you  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"What!" 

"  Something  with  a  sharp  tongue,"  she 
retorted. 

"  Things  don't  bite  with  their  tongues,  they 
use  their  teeth,  Peggy-Ann." 

"  Oh,  stop  talking  nonsense,  and  show  us 
your  trail,"  Nathalie  urged  him. 

"  In  Dutch  they  call  it  spoor.  I  too  say  it 's 
poor,"  Kingsley  observed.  "  Doubtless  the 
genius  called  it  polite  light  literature." 

From  her  distant  corner,  Mrs.  Farrington 
started  up  in  alarm. 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  123 

"  Rex,  did  I  drop  any  of  my  new  novel 
around  in  public  ?  " 

"  No  such  luck,  Aunt  Ted.  I  only  wish  you 
had.  No,  this  is  n't  of  your  sort.  It  is  far 
more  elegant  and  hifalutin  than  the  products 
of  your  pen." 

"  Oh,  read  it,  Rex.  We  were  just  longing  for 
a  little  excitement." 

"  This  is  sure  enough  excitement.  It  makes 
my  blood  fair  run  cold.  What 's  the  matter, 
Peggy?" 

"  I  'm  going  in,"  she  said  shortly. 

"  Oh,  it 's  not  so  chilly  as  all  that.  Do  stay 
and  hear  it.  You  '11  find  it  quite  worth  your 
while." 

"  You  'd  better  stay,  Peggy,"  Mr.  McAlister 
advised  her.  "  Else  we  may  think  you  wrote 
it." 

"  But  you  can't  read  it  in  this  light,  Rex," 
Nathalie  suggested. 

"  That  depends  on  whether  you  can  hold  a 
candle  to  it,"  he  returned. 

"  It  depends  a  good  deal  more  on  whether  it 
is  worth  the  candle." 

"  Listen,  and  judge  for  yourself,"  he  coun- 
selled her,  as  he  crossed  the  veranda  and  sat 
down  in  the  patch  of  light  that  shone  out  from 


124  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

a  window.  "  I  'm  sorry  to  say  that  I  have  only 
five  pages,  and  apparently  they  don't  hitch 
together.  Still,  they  are  fruity  pages.  ISTow 
listen.  I  suppose  there  might  have  been  some- 
thing that  came  before,  to  serve  as  preface  to 
explain  who  this  gentleman  was.  l  But  Richard 
Balfour  in  his  narrow  padded  cell  may  loom 
large  in  the  future,  but  to-night  a  divine  bliss 
has  her  in  thrall  and  —  ' 

"  Who  's  her?  "  Mr.  McAlister  asked. 

"  Does  n't  say,  Uncle  Hubert.  It  is  just 
plain  HER.  Well,  as  I  was  saying,  '  thrall  and 
this  Iron  God  of  Love,'  all  capitals,  '  that  is  to 
lead  her,  has  decreed  that  the  front  steps  '  —  no, 
'  the  first  steps  —  shall  be  strewn  with  rose 
leaves.'  There!  Isn't  that  awful  pretty?" 
Kingsley  looked  up  for  admiration. 

"  Wonderful !  Go  on,  Rex.  Ted,  you  may 
get  a  few  points  from  this." 

"  Who  did  it,  Rex  ?  " 

"  'F  I  know." 

"  Where  did  you  find  it  ?  " 

"  I  'm  not  telling." 

"  Oh,  go  on,"  Ursula  demanded.  "  I  want 
some  more." 

"  '  The  night  walk  back  to  the  Manor  through 
the  scented,  star-lit  garden  was  a  strange  and 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  125 

wonderful  one  to  them  both.  For  he  was  as 
pagan  as  she.  Both  at  marrow  had  lived  the 
same  hard,  imperious  lives,  and  with  the  in- 
coming of  this  strange  new  power,  strange  new 
thoughts  and  feelings  came  suddenly  to  life. 
Arthur,  pulling  forward  an, arm-chair,  is  in  a 
cool  way  telling  the  squire  where  they  had 
been.'  " 

"Arm-chair?" 

"  Yes.  This  hitches  on  all  right.  It 's  page 
fifty-one,  and  the  other  was  fifty.  Don't  inter- 
rupt, Nathalie." 

"  But  where  did  he  get  his  arm-chair  ? " 

"  Out  of  his  pocket,  most  likely.  (  Eleanor, 
shaking  still,  wonders  at  his  calmness.  The 
next  minute  she  is  still  more  surprized '  — 
with  a  z  —  '  when  he  turns  to  her.'  Then  there 
are  a  whole  lot  of  dashes.  '  His  muscular  hand 
is  on  her  chair;  he  is  looking  down  at  her.' 
More  dashes.  Isn't  that  a  thrilling  climax? 
'  Under  that  tender,  ardent  look,'  "  Kingsley's 
voice  mounted  to  a  falsetto ;  "  (  she  quivers  her 
whole  being,  stirred  — ' : 

•"  Do  mind  your  pauses,  Rex." 

"  I  was  trying  to  mind  hers,  and  they  're  past 
all  finding  out.  Well,  if  you  insist,  '  She 
quivers,  her  whole  being  stirred  to  its  utmost, 


126  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

inmost  depth.'  Another  dash,  a  good  long  one. 
'  Then  suddenly,  with  a  wild  shriek,  she  sees 
the  face  of  Another  Man  '  —  great  big  capitals 
and  underlined,  and  then  a  dash.  Where  was 
I  ?  Oh.  (  Another  Man  —  the  one  that  she 
hated  to  remember,  Richard  Balfour.  Then 
for  one  long  terrible  second  she  has  all  the 
horror  of  one  sliding  down  a  flower-covered 
precipice.  She  closes  her  eyes  with  a  sick  feel- 
ing of  fear.  When  she  opens  '  —  Each  sen- 
tence begins  a  new  paragraph.  —  '  When  she 
opens  them  it  is  to  find  her  satin-shod  feet  be- 
neath their  frothy  ruffles  resting  on  a  —  ' 

"  Rex  Barrett,  stop !  That  does  n't  come 
next,  and  you  know  it."  Then,  moved  to  sudden 
despair  by  her  involuntary  self-betrayal,  Peggy 
snatched  the  leaves  from  Kingsley's  hands, 
gulped  down  a  monstrous  sob,  and  rushed  away 
into  the  house,  leaving  the  others  to  stifle  their 
mirth  as  best  they  could,  while  Kingsley  exulted 
in  the  full  success  of  his  experiment. 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  127 


CHAPTER   TEN 

"  T     DON'T    think    I    was    meant    for    an 

JL  author,"  Peggy  said  ruefully,  the  next 
morning. 

"  Perhaps  not.  There  are  other  things  in  the 
world  than  writing  books." 

"  Yes,  darning  stockings,"  she  returned 
grimly.  "  That  does  n't  signify  that  I  care  to 
do  them,  though." 

"  And  do  you  care  to  do  literature  ?  " 

"  Yes.  At  least,  I  did  until  you  all  made  fun 
of  me.  Really,  Hal,  I  think  Rex  was  very 
horrid." 

"  He  probably  had  no  idea  that  you  would 
care  so  much." 

"  Then  he  does  n't  know  much,"  Peggy  re- 
sponded flatly.  "  Anybody  cares  about  being 
laughed  at.  Besides,  that  story  was  bone  of  my 
bone  and  ink  of  my  ink-pot.  It  was  n't  so  very 
bad,  either." 


128  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

Harry  maintained  a  discreet  silence,  and  she 
prodded  him  with  a  question. 

"  Was  it  so  very  bad,  Hal  ?  " 

"  N— no." 

"  What  was  the  matter  with  it  ? "  she  de- 
manded, in  swift  defiance. 

"I  —  I  'm  not  sure." 

"  But  something  was." 

"  It  was  n't  quite  up  to  Mrs.  Farrington's 
work,"  he  said  guardedly. 

"  Why  should  it  be  ?  She  has  done  whole 
dozens  of  them;  this  was  my  first,  and  I 
could  n't  seem  to  make  it  go." 

"  Perhaps  you  '11  get  the  trick  *  of  it  in 
time,"  her  brother  suggested,  with  an  effort  at 
consolation. 

"  No,  that 's  what  I  'm  driving  at.  I  can't, 
and  I  'm  not  going  to  try  it  again." 

"Why  not?" 

"  Too  hard  work.  Making  something  out  of 
nothing  is  n't  my  line.  I  need  something  be- 
sides ink  to  start  on." 

He  smiled  at  her  intent  face. 

"  How  many  irons  do  you  wish  to  roast  at 
once,  young  sister  ?  " 

"  One." 

"  But  you  have  two  now." 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  129 

"What  ones?" 

"  What  two,  you  mean.  Law  and  pedagogy, 
Mr.  Hubert  and  Sophia  Smith." 

She  sniffed  disdainfully. 

"  They  both  are  just  fun.  Besides,  they  will 
end  with  the  summer.  I  want  something  to 
last,  something  I  can  do  after  I  go  back  to 
Northford." 

"  There  will  be  school  then." 

Once  more  she  sniffed. 

"  Yes ;  but  such  a  school !  And  that  does  n't 
take  much  time.  Besides,  I  'm  in  the  top  room 
now.  I  am  old  enough  to  be  beginning  to  think 
what  next.  I  don't  want  to  stay  in  Northford 
under  Cousin  Eudora's  thumb,  all  my  days. 
She  can  sew  patchwork  and  eat  boiled  beef  for- 
ever, if  she  chooses.  I  want  something  else." 

"  And  yet  you  don't  like  it  here." 

"Who  says  I  don't  like  it?"  she  asked 
contradictiously. 

"  You  said  so." 

"When?" 

"  One  night  when  we  walked  up  to  the  reser- 
voir in  the  twilight." 

"  Oh,  then.  That  was  before  I  was  used  to 
it,  when  I  did  n't  have  anything  to  do." 

"  And  now  you  have  changed  your  mind  ?  " 
9 


130  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

Meditatively  she  dropped  her  chin  on  her 
hands,  and  spoke  with  slow  deliberation. 

"  Well,  I— should— just— say—  I  —  had." 

"  What  has  done  it  ?  " 

"  The  same  thing  that  has  done  all  my  deeds 
of  grace,  getting  busy  and  keeping  so,"  she 
answered  gravely.  "  There  's  something  the 
matter  with  me,  Hal.  As  soon  as  I  get  lazy,  I 
get  cross.  I  like  to  work." 

"  And  yet  Cousin  Eudora  says  — "  he  re- 
minded her. 

She  interrupted  him  hotly. 

"  Cousin  Eudora  is  an  old  poke.  Her  idea 
of  work  is  peeling  potatoes  and  weeding  the 
zinnia  bed.  I  hate  zinnias;  and,  when  I  keep 
house,  I  '11  cook  my  potatoes  in  their  skins.  But 
I  don't  mean  the  everlasting  work  that 's  never 
done;  I  mean  something  that  counts." 

"  I  was  under  the  impression  that  house- 
keeping counted,"  he  suggested.  "  Nathalie — " 

Again  she  interrupted. 

"  Yes,  Nathalie  would  potter  with  her  pots 
and  pans,  all  day  long.  She  had  n't  any 
ambition." 

"  Perhaps  not.  She  has  turned  into  a  good 
deal  of  a  woman,  though." 

Peggy's  mouth  drooped  at  the  corners. 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  131 

"  I  suppose  that  means  me,"  she  said,  in 
plaintive  resentment. 

Her  brother  laughed.  Then  he  bent  down 
and  took  her  face  in  his  two  slim  hands. 

"  Yes,  Peggy,  it  does  mean  you.  It  always 
will  mean  you,  when  you  try  to  slur  Nathalie. 
Without  her,  my  life  would  have  been  dreary 
enough,  little  sister,  and  I  owe  her  more  than 
you  can  ever  dream.  But  because  Nathalie  is 
domestic  it  does  n't  signify  that  you  must  be 
just  like  her.  We  don't  all  need  to  do  the  same 
work,  and  I  am  not  sure  that  you  ought  to  cook, 
and  weed  flower  beds  till  the  end  of  time." 

"  But  I  can't  take  Mr.  Hubert's  office  back  to 
Northford  with  me ;  and  I  've  about  decided 
that  it 's  no  use  for  me  to  try  to  write  novels," 
she  said  despondingly. 

"  No,  but  is  n't  there  anything  else  ?  " 

"  I  had  thought  a  little  of  being  an  actress," 
she  replied  slowly. 

In  his  astonishment,  Harry  Arterburn  sat 
upright  in  the  hammock  and  stared  at  her. 

"  Peg-gy  Arterburn !  " 

"Well,  what  of  it?"  she  returned  a  little 
defiantly. 

He  caught  the  ring  of  defiance,  and  controlled 
his  amusement. 


132  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

"  I  am  afraid  you  would  n't  find  that  much 
more  satisfactory  than  authorship,"  he  replied, 
with  becoming  gravity. 

"  But  I  can  do  it.  I  can't  seem  to  get  the 
hang  of  doing  novels." 

"  How  do  you  know  you  can  act  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I  Ve  tried  that,"  she  answered,  with  the 
conscious  pride  of  a  Siddons. 

"Where?" 

"  In  Northford,  lots  of  times.  Really,  I  have, 
Hal."  In  her  eagerness,  she  rose  and  seated 
herself  in  the  hammock  at  his  side.  "  Last 
Christmas  was  the  best.  We  did  The  Mistletoe 
Bough,  and  I  was  the  bride.  There  was  a 
lovely  song  that  went  with  it,  Young  Lovel's 
Bride,  with  trotting  horses  and  queer  ghosts 
spooking  about,  and  everything;  but  everybody 
said  that  I  was  the  best  part  of  it  all." 

Harry  smiled,  as  he  looked  down  into  the  ani- 
mated face. 

"  I  don't  doubt  it,"  he  said  heartily.  "  I  only 
wish  I  could  have  been  there." 

"  It  was  in  the  town  hall,  at  a  school  enter- 
tainment, and  I  wore  Cousin  Eudora's  mother's 
wedding  clothes.  They  pinched  me  half  to 
death,  too ;  and  I  thought  they  'd  never  drop 
the  curtain  and  let  me  crawl  out  of  my  chest. 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  133 

We  only  had  three  rehearsals,  and  how  1  did 
love  them !  Hal !  " 

"Peggy!" 

"  I  wish  they  'd  let  us  give  a  play  here." 

"  I  am  afraid  they  would  n't." 

"  Why  not  ?  " 

"  Too  much  fuss." 

She  shook  her  head  undauntedly. 

"  No.  We  could  give  it  out  of  doors,  the 
way  all  the  colleges  are  doing.  Rex  and  Ursula 
and  Jack  could  act,  and  I  truly  want  you  to 
see  how  well  I  can  do." 

"  It  would  be  fun,  Peggy ;  but  I  'm  afraid 
it 's  impossible." 

"  You  wait.  I  am  going  to  talk  to  Rex  about 
it.  Then  you  would  see  what  I  mean  by  wanting 
to  be  an  actress." 

"  Yes,  dear ;   but  —  " 

Impatiently  she  broke  in. 

"  When  you  call  me  dear,  Harry  Arterburn, 
I  always  know  there  's  a  but  coming." 

He  slid  his  hand  through  her  arm,  noting 
with  surprise  that  she  made  no  attempt  to 
draw  away. 

"  There  is  a  but,  Peggy,  a  good  large  one. 
Have  you  ever  been  behind  the  scenes  at  a  real 
theatre  ?  " 


134  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

"  I  was  never  even  in  front  of  them,"  she 
confessed. 

"  You  will  be,  some  day.  But  I  hope  you  will 
never  go  any  farther.  A  near  view  of  the  paint 
and  spangles  takes  off  most  of  their  beauty.  And 
the  endless  hours  of  study  and  rehearsing,  and 
more  study  and  more  rehearsing,  make  it  dreary 
work  for  all  but  the  one  or  two  great  actors  who 
get  to  the  top.  Amateur  theatricals  are  good 
fun,  Peggy ;  but,  if  I  were  you,  I  'd  stop  at 
those  and  not  think  much  about  the  rest." 

"  I  never  supposed  there  was  so  much  work 
to  it,"  she  said  thoughtfully. 

"  There  is  work  about  most  things,  little 
sister." 

"  So  I  notice,"  she  answered  soberly.     "  I 

don't  want  to  shirk,  Hal.     What  can  I  do  ?  " 

\ 

"  Stay  in  Northford  and  finish  your  school." 

"  That 's  only  one  more  year.     What  then  ?  " 

"College." 

Her  eyes  met  his  eyes  squarely. 

"  Hal,  I  won't.  I  don't  want  to  go,  and  it 
would  be  a  wicked  waste  of  money  to  send  me. 
Study  goes  against  my  grain.  If  I  want  to 
know  things,  I  can  read  them.  Otherwise,  I 
might  as  well  let  them  alone,,  for  they  won't 
stick  in  my  mind." 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  135 

"  But  I  wanted  to  send  you  to  college,  Peggy." 

"  What  for  ?    Nathalie  did  n't  go." 

"  No ;  but  it  seemed  to  me  more  in  your 
line." 

"  I  'm  not  sure  I  have  any  line,"  she  an- 
swered, with  a  sigh.  "  Seems  to  me  I  'm  only  a 
muddle." 

"  How  old  are  you,  Peggy  ?  " 

"  Sixteen  in  the  fall.  You  ought  to  know  the 
ages  of  your  own  family,  Hal." 

He  ignored  the  implied  accusation. 

"  The  line  has  n't  had  time  to  show  itself 
yet." 

"  Mrs.  Farrington  had  written  a  story,  before 
she  was  as  old  as  I  am." 

"  She  was  the  exception  that  proves  the  rule, 
then.  You  Ve  plenty  of  time  yet  to  decide  what 
you  want  to  do." 

"  Yes ;  but  I  'd  like  to  be  about  it.  It 's  easier 
to  reach  out,  if  you  know  what  you  're  reaching 
after,"  she  said  restively. 

"  Then  sit  still  for  a  year." 

She  turned  her  eyes  on  him  rebukingly. 

"  Hal,  I  should  die." 

He  laughed  at  her  energy.  Then  his  face 
grew  grave. 

"  We  all  have  to  sit  and  wait  now  and  then. 


136  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

Do  you  remember  me,  last  summer,  after  I  was 
illinNorthford?" 

Her  face  softened  at  the  recollection. 

"  Yes.  That  was  the  first  I  ever  thought 
much  about  you.  You  taught  me  to  play  soli- 
taire then,  you  know;  and  I  found  it  such  a 
comfort,  whenever  Cousin  Eudora  elected  to 
sweep  the  whole  house  in  one  morning." 

"  Peggy,  I  don't  believe  you  like  housework." 

"  No ;  I  abhor  it,"  she  answered,  with  an 
energy  that  set  the  hammock  to  swinging  in  a 
wide  arc. 

"  I  am  sorry." 

"  I  don't  see  why." 

"  Because  I  had  begun  to  dream  dreams, 
Peggy." 

"  Do  talk  sense,  Hal.  You  sound  senti- 
mental," she  rebuked  him. 

"  Perhaps  I  am,"  he  confessed. 

"  Don't.  Nathalie  is  enough  for  one  family," 
she  said  shortly.  "  I  hoped  you  had  more 
sense." 

There  was  a  prolonged  pause.  Then,  as  she 
looked  up,  she  was  surprised  at  the  expression 
in  his  blue  eyes.  He  was  balancing  his  glasses 
on  his  thumb ;  without  them  he  looked  younger, 
less  strong,  and  infinitely  pained.  With  a  swift 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  137 

gesture  she  bent  towards  him  and  laid  her  hand 
on  his,  glasses  and  all. 

"  Hal,  I  did  n't  mean  to  be  snappy,"  she  said 
contritely.  "  You  did  sound  very  soft ;  but 
I  suppose  it 's  your  age,  and  all  that.  What 
were  your  dreams  about  ?  " 

"  About  you,  Peggy,  and  about  me." 

"  What  about  us  ?  " 

"  Nothing  that  you  would  like,  I  'm  afraid. 
It 's  only  that  I  have  been  wondering  whether 
—  whether  you  could  be  happy  to  live  in  New 
York." 

Her  brows  rose  dubiously. 

"With  Nathalie?" 

"  No,  with  me." 

"  But  that  would  be  with  Nathalie,  too." 

He  shook  his  head. 

"  Not  after  this  first  year.-  I  have  promised 
to  stay  with  them,  this  winter.  After  that  they 
will  be  better  alone.  They  would  be  better 
alone  now ;  only  Mac  worries  about  me,  and  he 
lets  Nathalie  worry.  By  the  end  of  another 
year,  I  shall  be  so  strong  that  there  will  be  no 
need  of  Mac's  keeping  his  eye  on  me.  And 
then  —  " 

"  Well  ?  "    Peggy's  accent  was  interrogative. 

"  Then  I  had  n't  known  what  next.     But,  as 


138  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

we  get  better  acquainted,  it  seems  to  me  we 
might  have  good  times  living  together,  just  as 
Nathalie  and  I  used  to  do." 

Her  face  brightened.  Then  she  shook  her 
head. 

"  It  would  be  no  use,  Hal.  I  'm  too  snappish. 
I  should  hurt  you,  day  in  and  day  out.  Some- 
times I  might  mean  to;  sometimes  I  should  do 
it  accidentally,  as  I  did  just  now.  I  'm  too 
thorny.  I  must  live  with  people  who  have  skins 
thick  enough  not  to  mind  the  thorns." 

"  Then  you  don't  want  to  do  it,  Peggy  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  do.  That  makes  it  all  the  worse. 
I  like  you,  Hal,  like  you  a  lot  better  than  I  ever 
meant  to ;  and,  for  the  sake  of  being  with  you, 
I  would  put  up  with  almost  anything,  house- 
work and  all.  Only,  I  don't  know  anything 
about  housework." 

"  Could  n't  you  learn  ?    Nathalie  did." 

She  frowned.     Then  she  faced  him  sharply. 

"  Oh,  Harry,  do  please,  please,  please  stop 
quoting  Nathalie  to  me!  You  don't  know  how 
it  goes  against  the  grain.  Besides,  it 's  no  man- 
ner of  use.  She's  Nathalie;  I'm  me.  You  can't 
make  us  over  into  each  other,  if  you  work  over 
us  till  the  crack  of  doom.  She  pussy-cats  you  to 
death;  I  don't  believe  in  that  sort  of  thing, 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  139 

myself.  And  yet,  after  all,  if  I  tried  hard 
enough,  I  honestly  think  I  could  make  you  just 
as  comfortable  as  Nathalie  did." 

Her  eyes  dropped  to  the  ground  too  soon  to 
let  her  see  the  srnile  with  which  her  brother 
noted  the  unconscious  tightening  of  her  fingers 
over  his  hand. 

"  But  would  you  be  contented,  Peggy  ?  " 

"  Yes,  if  I  thought  you  were." 

"  As  contented  as  if  you  were  an  actress  ?  " 

"  Yes.  That  is,  if  I  did  things  really  well. 
I  don't  want  to  be  doing  any  second-rate  work, 
or  doing  it  in  a  second-rate  way." 

"  But  I  thought  you  called  housekeeping 
second-rate." 

"  That  depends  on  whether  you  eat  boiled 
beef  and  cabbage  for  Sunday  dinner,"  she  an- 
swered quickly.  "  So  is  copying  law  papers 
second-rate  work,  if  you  get  in  a  hurry  and  blot 
things.  I  don't  care  so  much  what  the  work  is, 
as  long  as  it  is  something  that  counts.  And, 
Hal  —  The  words  caught  in  her  throat. 

"Yes,  Peggy?" 

"  I  'm  queer  and  thorny ;  but  it  does  count  a 
good  deal  that,  in  spite  of  it  all,  you  want  to 
have  me  around." 

He  saw  that  the  tears  were  near  the  surface, 


140  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

and  he  longed  to  take  her  into  his  arms;  but 
he  knew  that  his  young  sister  would  resent 
such  a  proceeding  as  an  affront  to  her  dignity. 
Accordingly,  he  contented  himself  with  holding 
out  his  hand. 

"  Is  it  a  bargain,  Peggy  ?  Do  we  keep  house 
together  after  this  year  ?  " 

Her  answer  surprised  him  almost  as  much 
as  did  the  strength  in  her  slim  brown  fingers. 

"  For  always  and  always,  Hal,  if  you  '11  let 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  141 


CHAPTER   ELEVEN 

""[I  /TARGARET!    Margaret!" 

1 V  A  lip-stairs  in  her  room  Peggy  was 
chanting  Comin  through  the  Rye  at  least  two 
octaves  higher  than  the  law  allows,  and  with  a 
lusty  vigor  that  should  have  been  death  to  sen- 
timent. At  the  call,  she  stopped  her  song  in  the 
very  middle  of  a  note,  and  rushed  to  the  head 
of  the  stairs. 

"  Here  I  am.    Do  you  want  me  ?  " 
Hubert  McAlister  was  standing  in  the  hall, 
a  telegram  in  his  hand  and  an  anxious  light  in 
his  eyes.     Nevertheless,  he  smiled  up  at  the 
animated  face  above  him. 

"  Come  down  here,  if  you  are  n't  busy." 
With  a  headlong  rush  which  irresistibly  re- 
minded him  of  Sophia  Smith,  she  dropped  down 
on  the  seat  at  the  foot  of  the  stairs. 

"  I  'm  never  too  busy  to  talk  business,"  she 
returned  promptly. 
He  smiled  again. 


142  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

"  How  do  you  know  it  is  business  ?  " 

"  Your  eyes  say  so.  They  are  awful  tell-tales. 
Moreover,  it 's  not  only  business ;  but  it  is  some- 
thing that  worries  you.  You  might  as  well 
have  it  out,"  she  advised  him,  much  in  the  tone 
of  the  dentist  who  advises  the  removal  of  an 
aching  tooth. 

He  sat  down  beside  her  and  glanced  again  at 
the  telegram  in  his  hand. 

"  Is  that  it  ?  "  she  asked. 

He  nodded. 

"  Let  me  see  —  that  is,  if  you  're  willing," 
she  amended  hurriedly,  for  Hubert  McAlister 
was  one  of  the  few  persons  to  whom  she  in- 
tended to  accord  full  deference. 

He  handed  her  the  paper,  and  she  knitted  her 
brows  over  its  contents. 

"  Eliza  dead.  Red  handkerchief  on  parlor 
table.  Elegant  swimming." 

He  surveyed  her  quizzically,  and  she  laughed 
as  she  met  his  eyes. 

"  It  sounds  like  a  page  of  my  novel,"  she  said. 
"  But  who  is  Eliza,  and  is  she  drowned  ?  " 

"  No.  It  is  a  private  code.  Never  mind  just 
what  each  word  means.  It  amounts  to  this: 
there  has  come  up  some  new  evidence  in  the 
Thomas  case,  evidence  that  I  can't  afford 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  143 

to  miss,  and  I  must  go  to  New  York,  this 
morning." 

"  \Yhat  fun !  Is  the  evidence  there,  and  will 
it  help  you  to  win  the  case  ?  "  she  asked  eagerly ; 
for  long  since  she  had  discovered  that  this  case, 
involving  a  will  and  a  property  of  some  hun- 
dreds of  thousands,  was  the  chief  interest  of 
her  companion;  that  in  it  he  was  crossing 
swords  with  some  of  the  most  brilliant  and  un- 
scrupulous lawyers  of  the  state. 

"  I  can't  tell.  I  hope  so.  Anyway,  it  is 
worth  the  trying.  I  must  go  down,  this 
morning." 

"  Well,  success  to  you !  Have  you  any  orders 
for  the  day  ? "  she  asked,  with  a  swift  reas- 
sumption  of  the  clerkly  manner  which  Mr. 
McAlister  found  so  amusing. 

"  The  usual  thing :  see  to  the  mail,  of  course, 
and  then  you  might  copy  those  deeds  we  were 
looking  over,  yesterday.  I  shall  need  the  copies, 
next  week.  But,  Margaret,  child,  this  will  leave 
you  alone  in  that  office,  all  day  long." 

She  looked  up  sharply. 

"  Are  you  afraid  I  shall  get  into  mischief  ?  I 
promise  not  to  meddle  with  things  in  the  safe." 

Under  the  mockery  of  her  tone,  there  was  a 
little  sharp  edge  that  matched  the  light  in  her 


144  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

eyes.  Both  vanished,  however,  at  Mr.  McAlis- 
ter's  answering  laugh,  and  her  voice  was 
friendly  again,  as  she  added,  — 

"  Where  is  Miss  Cromwell  ?  " 

"  Her  vacation  begins,  to-day." 

"  Oh,  I  forgot.  Well,  I  am  glad  she  's  out 
of  the  way.  She  wheezes  like  a  grampus,  and 
she  turns  over  her  typewriter,  every  four  words, 
to  make  sure  she  has  n't  said  anything  reckless. 
She  's  good ;  but  she  is  awfully  poky,  and  she 
says  How  ?  when  you  ask  her  a  question.  I  'm 
glad  she  will  be  out  of  the  way."  Peggy's  heels 
struck  the  floor  in  time  with  her  climax. 

"  I  did  n't  choose  her  for  her  social  qualities, 
Peggy." 

"  No ;  you  took  her  because  her  mother  had 
lost  her  mind,"  Peggy  answered  bluntly,  and 
with  fine  disregard  for  her  pronouns.  "  I  know 
all  about  that." 

He  ignored  the  charge. 

"  But  I  'm  afraid  you  '11  be  very  lonely." 

"  Not  I.  I  'm  not  that  kind.  But  may  I  take 
Sophia  with  me  ?  " 

"  For  protection  ?  " 

"  No,  for  company.  I  don't  need  any  pro- 
tection. And  I  promise  you  she  shaVt  ramp 
around  the  office.  I  '11  tie  her  to  the  desk." 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  145 

"  Just  as  you  choose.  Don't  let  her  drive 
away  any  possible  clients,  though.  I  need  all  I 
can  get.  And  what  shall  I  bring  back  from 
New  York  ? " 

"  Evidence  for  yourself,  Huyler  for  me,"  she 
responded  promptly.  "  Now  I  must  scrabble 
my  room  into  some  sort  of  order,  if  I  'm  to  be 
at  the  office  on  time." 

He  smiled  up  at  her,  as  she  rose  and  stood 
beside  him. 

"  A  good  day  to  you,  Margaret !  I  'm  learn- 
ing to  depend  on  my  new  clerk,  and  I  find  her 
very  dependable." 

She  nodded  down  at  him. 

"  Thank  you,"  she  said,  with  sudden  gravity. 
"  I  only  wish  she  were  more  so." 

Half  an  hour  later,  she  went  up  the  stairs  with 
Sophia  at  her  heels,  and  let  herself  into  the 
office.  The  morning  sun  and  a  fresh  breeze 
brightened  the  place,  and  Peggy's  face  was 
quite  content  as  she  moved  up  and  down  the 
great  room,  throwing  the  windows  wide  open, 
unlocking  the  vault  and  gathering  together  the 
letters  to  be  opened  at  her  leisure.  Then  she 
tied  Sophia  to  the  desk  and  fell  to  work  at  the 
morning  mail.  She  glanced  up,  as  the  janitor 
came  in  for  orders. 

10 


146  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

"  Mr.  McAlister  has  had  to  go  to  New  York 
this  morning,"  she  said.  "  I  shall  be  here,  all 
day,  except  for  his  usual  hour  at  noon.  If  any- 
one comes  then,  Andrew,  just  say  I  shall  be 
here  at  two." 

He  smiled  at  her  approvingly.  Her  bright, 
girlish,  off-hand  ways  pleased  him;  her  inde- 
pendence was  altogether  unlike  the  crankiness 
of  the  "  lady  clerks "  in  the  other  offices. 
Moreover,  he  was  human  enough  to  enjoy  the 
unvarying  courtesy  with  which  she  treated  both 
himself  and  the  boy  in  the  elevator.  Girls  like 
Peggy  Arterburn  and  dogs  of  Sophia's  breed 
were  rare  objects  in  his  life.  He  bent  down  to 
inspect  Sophia  more  closely. 

Instantly  Sophia  resolved  to  spare  him  the 
effort.  Swiftly  unfolding  herself,  she  rose  on 
her  hind  legs  and  sought  to  embrace  the  air 
above  the  janitor's  head.  The  janitor  dodged, 
and  Peggy  sprang  to  the  rescue. 

"  Oh,  please  excuse  her !  "  she  begged,  as  she 
jerked  Sophia  back  with  an  energy  that  reduced 
the  dog  to  a  sprawling  heap  under  the  desk. 
"  She  's  only  a  puppy,  you  know." 

Involuntarily  he  had  withdrawn  to  the 
threshold.  From  that  safe  vantage  ground,  he 
now  freed  his  mind. 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  147 

"Great  Scott!     What '11  she  be  when  she 
grows  up  into  a  dog  ? " 

The  next  minute,  his  retreating  steps  sounded 
at  the  far  end  of  the  hallway. 

For  the  space  of  two  hours,  Peggy  worked 
steadily.  Then,  with  a  yawn,  she  leaned  back  in 
her  chair  and  looked  about  her.  The  past  five 
weeks  had  made  the  room  seem  very  familiar 
to  her,  with  its  wide,  leather-backed  chairs,  its 
airy  windows,  and  the  great  door  of  the  vault 
in  the  corner  behind  Mr.  McAlister's  desk.  The 
vault  itself  was  especially  attractive  to  Peggy. 
Its  files  of  papers  suggested  untold  stories 
enough  to  fill  a  library;  the  little  square  safe 
in  the  corner,  the  safe  of  which  no  one  but 
Mr.  McAlister  knew  the  combination,  might, 
for  all  she  could  tell,  be  stuffed  with  golden 
ingots,  or  crammed  with  the  ashes  of  torn-up 
wills  such  as  do  duty  in  the  pages  of  the  unwary 
novelists  who  are  not  versed  in  law.  Peggy 
smiled  to  herself,  as  she  recalled  the  merciless 
criticism  which  Mr.  McAlister  had  bestowed 
upon  one  of  her  own  favorite  heroes  for  taking 
the  law  into  his  hands  in  this  summary  fashion. 
Then,  turning  from  ,the  vault,  her  glance 
dropped  to  Sophia,  snoozing  on  the  floor  at  her 
feet. 


148  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

"Is  Mr.  McAlister  in?" 

Her  glance  raised  itself  again  with  a  jerk. 
It  rested  upon  the  speaker,  and  it  promptly  reg- 
istered the  impression  that  he  was  not  a  gentle- 
man. The  impression  came  from  his  collar  and 
cravat,  from  the  angle  at  which  his  hat  was 
tilted;  above  all,  it  came  from  his  shifty  eyes. 

"  No,  he  is  not  here,  to-day." 

"  I  am  sorry.    Is  he  out  of  town  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  When  will  he  be  back  ?  " 

"  Early  to-morrow  morning." 

The  man  paused,  as  if  thinking  over  the  sit- 
uation. Then  he  shook  his  head. 

"  I  am  afraid  that  will  be  too  late.  Can  I  see 
his  head  clerk  ?  " 

A  little  satisfied  smile  stole  around  the  corners 
of  Peggy's  lips. 

"  I  am  Mr.  McAlister's  clerk,"  she  said,  with 
infinite  dignity. 

For  an  instant,  the  shifty  eyes  fell  upon  her. 
Then  they  moved  away  again.  However,  that 
instant  had  been  long  enough  to  convince  the 
man  that  he  had  taken  the  measure  of  this 
attractive  child.  He  rested  one  elbow  on  the 
desk,  and  spoke  with  assurance. 

"  Well,  if  Mr.  McAlister  is  n't  here,  I  suppose 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  149 

I  can  tell  you  what  I  want.  Haswell  and  Deane 
have  sent  me  up  to  get  the  records  of  the  Thomas 
case.  There  's  a  flaw  in  one  of  their  copies,  and 
they  need  to  verify  them  all,  before  the  matter 
comes  into  the  courts." 

"  Haswell  and  Deane  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  Are  you  their  clerk  ?  " 

"  No.  I  'm  Mr.  Haswell's  brother-in-law. 
He  is  short  of  help,  this  morning,  and  I  said  I 
would  run  up  here  for  him." 

Peggy  reflected  swiftly.  Haswell  and  Deane 
were  associated  with  Hubert  McAlister  in  the 
Thomas  case.  She  knew  that  papers  had  passed 
back  and  forth  between  them.  There  was  no 
especial  reason  that  these  records  should  not  be 
allowed  to  go  into  their  hands.  Nevertheless, 
she  distrusted  the  man.  He  was  too  glib. 
Moreover,  it  was  inconceivable  to  her  that  a 
man  of  Mr.  Haswell's  type  could  have  a  sister 
married  to  a  man  who  wore  his  hat  on  the  side  of 
his  head.  She  thought  rapidly  and  to  the  point. 

"  You  have  a  note  from  Mr.  Haswell  ?  " 

"No.    What  for?" 

Peggy's  mind  went  back  to  an  interview  she 
had  overheard  between  Hubert  McAlister  and 
a  messenger  boy,  and  she  took  her  cue  from  that. 


150  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

"  Unless  you  can  show  me  some  credentials, 
it  will  be  impossible  for  me  to  trust  you  with 
the  documents,"  she  quoted  gravely. 

In  spite  of  his  annoyance,  the  man  smiled, 
as  the  weighty  sentence  rolled  off  Peggy's 
tongue.  Then  he  put  his  second  elbow  on  her 
desk. 

"  I  'm  sorry,"  he  said  familiarly.  "  I  sup- 
posed my  word  would  be  enough." 

"  But  it  is  n't,"  she  returned  undauntedly, 
for  she  realized  less  and  less  dimly  that  some- 
thing was  wrong. 

"  But  I  must  have  those  papers.  Mr.  Has- 
well  is  waiting,"  he  persisted. 

She  turned  to  the  telephone  on  Mr.  Mc- 
Alister's  desk,  at  which  she  was  sitting. 

"  I  can  call  up  Mr.  Haswell,"  she  said,  with 
a  sudden  accent  of  relief.  "  I  never  thought  of 
that." 

Quickly  the  man  interposed. 

"  He  is  n't  in  his  office." 

"  Well,  somebody  else  is." 

"  Nobody  else  knew  of  his  sending  me." 

Peggy's  heart  began  to  bump  against  her 
ribs ;  but  she  met  his  eyes  without  flinching. 

"  Then  we  can  wait  till  Mr.  Haswell  gets 
back." 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  151 

"  He  has  been  called  away  on  business,  and 
won't  be  back  until  night." 

Peggy  swung  her  chair  away  from  the  tele- 
phone. An  angry  light  was  blazing  in  her 
eyes. 

"  Then  we  '11  wait  until  to-night,"  she  said 
shortly.  "  Meanwhile,  if  you  '11  excuse  me,  I 
must  go  to  work." 

Abruptly  the  man's  tone  changed. 

"  Now  look  here,  my  girl,  I  've  got  to  have 
those  papers.  What 's  more,  I  'm  going  to  have 
them.  There  's  nobody  else  here  to  know  what 
has  become  of  them.  Give  them  to  me,  and  I  '11 
make  it  worth  your  while." 

"  What !  "  Peggy  exploded  into  wrath,  as 
she  sprang  up  from  her  chair. 

"  Yes.  I  '11  pay  you  well.  You  need  n't 
even  give  them  to  me.  Just  tell  me  where  they 
are.  That  will  let  you  out  of  the  charge  of 
having  taken  them." 

With  a  sudden  grinding  blow,  Peggy's  heel 
descended  upon  the  outstretched  paw  of  the 
slumbering  Sophia  Smith.  There  was  a  high 
soprano  shriek,  half  of  pain,  half  of  anger; 
then  Sophia,  like  a  vast  Jack-in-the-Box,  leaped 
up  out  of  the  nook  where  she  had  lain  hidden 
from  the  man's  sight.  The  man  dodged  back- 


152  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

ward,  and  his  comment  was  monosyllabic  and 
utterly  profane. 

"  Ssst !    Sophia,  sssst !  "  Peggy  hissed  softly. 

Sophia  heard  and  heeded.  With  a  terrific 
lunge  she  cast  herself  upon  the  man,  rested  her 
paws  on  his  shoulders,  and  fell  to  licking  his 
face  in  ecstatic  welcome. 

"  Sophia !  "  Peggy  protested,  midway  be- 
tween laughter  and  tears  over  the  failure  of  her 
ruse. 

The  man  read  her  intention. 

"  Oh,  don't  mind.  I  like  dogs,  and  this  is  a 
beautiful  one,"  he  said  genially.  "  Deerhound, 
isn't  it?" 

"  Staghound,"  Peggy  corrected  him.  She 
wished  to  prolong  the  situation  until  she  could 
decide  what  to  do  next. 

"  Really  ?     Not  very  common,  are  they  ?  " 

"  No." 

"  I  thought  not.    Beautiful  eyes." 

"  Yes."  Peggy  nodded ;  but  the  nod  was  for 
herself,  not  for  her  questioner.  Her  determina- 
tion was  taken.  Assault  failing,  she  would  try 
stratagem.  Nevertheless,  intrepid  as  she  was, 
Peggy's  heart  wellnigh  failed  her,  as  she  faced 
the  man  with  a  smile.  "  You  were  just  say- 
ing —  "  she  faltered  hesitatingly. 


'    NATHALIE'S  SISTER  153 

The  man  interpreted  her  hesitation  as  being 
the  girl's  reluctance  to  share  in  a  crime.  He 
hastened  to  reassure  her. 

"  That  I  would  make  it  worth  your  while  to 
give  me  the  papers  ?  Well,  I  will." 

"  But  if  I  get  caught  ?  " 

"  You  won't.  I  '11  see  to  that.  Just  tell  me 
where  the  papers  are.  Then  lock  the  door  so 
we  need  n't  be  interrupted,  and  go  and  stand 
by  the  window.  You  can  be  looking  down  into 
the  street,  and  need  n't  see  a  thing  till  I  have 
unlocked  the  door  and  gone." 

"  Well,"  Peggy  assented  doubtfully. 

"You'll  do  it?" 

"  Yes." 

"  Where  are  the  papers  ?  " 

A  mocking  light  came  into  Peggy's  eyes. 

"  What  will  you  give  me  ?  " 

The  answer  was  short  and  to  the  point. 

"  Ten  thousand  dollars." 

She  gasped  at  the  amount.    Then  she  rallied. 

"  Xot  enough.    Make  it  fifteen,"  she  haggled. 

The  man  eyed  her  with  a  certain  admiration. 

"  Well,  I  must  say,  for  so  young  a  girl  you 
are  a  cool  hand  at  this  game.  Well,  fifteen  it 
is.  Where  are  the  papers  ?  " 

"  In  the  safe  in  the  vault." 


154  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

Noiselessly  he  shut  the  office  door  and  locked 
it. 

"  Now  go  and  stand  by  the  front  window." 

Her  color  came  at  the  tone  of  command,  and 
her  chin  tilted  upward  aggressively.  Then  she 
crossed  the  room  to  the  window. 

"  Don't  turn  around,  when  you  answer  my 
questions.  Where  is  the  safe  ?  " 

"  In  the  back  left-hand  corner  of  the  vault." 

"Is  it  locked?" 

"  Yes." 

"  Do  you  know  the  combination  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  What  is  it  ?  " 

Peggy  hesitated.  Then  she  answered 
glibly,  — 

"  Two  —  seven  —  nine  —  two." 

The  man  repeated  it  after  her. 

"  Two  —  seven  —  nine  —  two.  Is  that 
right?" 

"  Yes.  It  sticks  a  little ;  but  it  will  come 
open.  The  papers  are  in  the  left-hand  corner." 

There  was  an  interval  while  the  man,  on  his 
knees  before  the  safe,  wrestled  with  the  combi- 
nation. Outside,  Peggy's  hand  opened  and 
shut  nervously,  as  it  lay  on  Sophia's  ragged 
back.  The  man's  right  elbow  pointed  straight 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  155 

to  the  open  pigeonhole  where  lay  the  records  of 
the  Thomas  case;  but  the  vault  was  dark,  and 
he  was  too  absorbed  with  the  combination  to 
heed  any  open  pigeonholes. 

"  Two  —  seven  —  nine  —  two  ?  "  he  asked 
at  length,  as  he  sat  back  on  his  heels  and  drew 
his  sleeve  across  his  face. 

"  Two  —  six  —  nine  —  two,"  Peggy  cor- 
rected him  blandly. 

"  You  said  seven  before." 

"  You  must  have  misunderstood  me.  I  said 
six.  Two  —  six  —  nine  —  two." 

Again  she  heard  the  turning  of  the  knobs, 
and  she  sidled  a  step  nearer  the  door  of  the 
vault,  paused  to  listen,  sidled  another  step, 
listened  again,  and  again  moved  stealthily  on- 
ward. Suddenly  she  gathered  all  her  strength 
and  courage,  grasped  the  heavy  door  with 'both 
hands,  and  hurled  it  together  with  a  clang. 
There  was  the  snap  of  the  springing  lock,  the 
pull  of  a  bolt;  then  Peggy  unlocked  the  office 
door,  threw  it  open,  and,  with  Sophia  leaping 
at  her  heels,  dashed  away  down  the  stairs  in 
search  of  the  janitor. 


156  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 


CHAPTER    TWELVE 

"  ripEDDY,  that  is  a  good  deal  of  a  girl." 

J_  Dr.  McAlister,  his  son,  and  Mrs. 
Earrington  were  sitting  in  the  library  of  The 
Savins.  From  the  veranda  outside  came  the 
chatter  of  young  voices ;  but  the  silence  within 
had  lasted  long.  Hubert  McAlister  broke  it. 

Mrs.  Farrington  nodded. 

"  You  mean  Peggy  ?  " 

"  Yes.     She  saved  the  day." 

"  You  think  the  man  was  sent  by  the  Thomas 
heirs  ?  "  Dr.  McAlister  asked. 

"  There  is  no  doubt  of  it.  He  neglected  to 
look  over  his  papers  before  he  came ;  and  when 
the  officers  went  through  his  pockets,  they  found 
evidence  enough  to  convict  him  over  the  heads 
of  a  bribed  jury.  Miss  Cromwell  would  have 
given  him  the  papers.  She  is  a  trusting  soul." 

"  Peggy  is  n't.  She  is  always  on  the  defen- 
sive," his  sister  observed. 

"  Well  for  me  that  she  was.  If  the  man  had 
carried  off  those  records,  the  heirs  could  have 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  157 

snapped  their  fingers  in  my  face.  It  was  a 
clever  plan,  giving  me  a  false  scent  in  New 
York,  and  then  terrorizing  my  own  clerk  in  my 
absence." 

"  So  idiotic  of  them  to  think  they  could  get 
the  best  of  you !  " 

He  smiled  across  at  his  twin  sister. 

"  You  're  a  loyal  soul,  Ted.  But  still,  even 
you  must  admit  that  I  was  taken  in  completely. 
Peggy  deserves  the  praise." 

"  And  has  it,"  she  reminded  him.  "  She  is 
the  happiest  girl  in  New  England  to-night,  Hu. 
Your  commendation  has  set  her  up  on  mental 
stilts." 

"  Let  us  hope  she  won't  tumble  off,"  Dr.  Mc- 
Alister  said  indulgently.  "  I  like  the  child.  I 
have  n't  had  much  to  say  to  her ;  but  I  have 
been  watching  her  cornerwise,  and  she  seems  to 
me  well  worth  the  watching." 

"  She  was,  to-day,"  Mrs.  Farrington  added. 
"  I  wish  you  had  seen  her,  Hu,  as  she  came 
tearing  up  to  the  house,  calling  for  Harry.  She 
was  just  like  a  live  coal,  bareheaded,  out  of 
breath,  and  fairly  shaking  with  excitement. 
She  just  said,  '  I  've  got  him,'  and  then  dropped 
down  on  the  grass,  while  we  were  left  wondering 
who  Him  might  be." 


158  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

They  all  laughed.  Then  Dr.  McAlister  took 
up  the  tale,  — 

"  And  so,  as  soon  as  I  found  the  trouble  was 
at  the  office,  I  went  over  there  with  Harry.  We 
left  Peggy  getting  her  breath  on  the  lawn  here ; 
but  when  we  went  into  the  office,  there  she  was 
with  Andrew,  standing  guard  over  the  vault, 
and  she  hailed  us  with  *  He  's  in  there.  I  just 
heard  him.' ' 

"  And  still  you  did  n't  know  what  it  was  \  " 
Mrs.  Farrington  asked. 

"  Not  an  idea  whether  it  was  a  bear  or  a 
burglar.  Andrew  knew  no  more  about  it  than 
we  did.  Peggy  had  sent  him  up,  post  haste, 
to  see  that  He  did  n't  escape,  and  then  had 
dashed  off  in  search  of  Harry.  Poor  Andrew 
looked  badly  scared;  but  by  that  time  Peggy 
was  as  calm  as  a  May  morning,  and  little  by 
little  we  extracted  the  story  from  her." 

"  And  the  fellow  really  tried  to  bully  her 
and  then  to  bribe  her  ? "  Hubert  said  thought- 
fully.  . 

"  Apparently.  Harry  telephoned  for  the 
police,  and  we  had  him  out  in  a  hurry.  He  was 
a  most  crestfallen  villain,  too,  for  he  had  to  own 
up  to  having  been  trapped  by  a  girl  of  fifteen." 

Rising,  Hubert  McAlister  paced  the  length 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  159 

of  the  room,  and  returned  to  his  former  seat 
by  the  table. 

"  I  wish  I  knew  how  to  thank  the  girl,"  he 
said  slowly.  "  She  might  have  done  harm,  to- 
day, that  could  never  have  been  set  right.  She 
was  in  actual  danger,  too.  The  man  had  a 
revolver  in  his  pocket." 

Mrs.  Farrington  started.     Then  she  laughed. 

"  Nonsense,  Hu !  He  never  would  have  used 
it." 

"  You  can't  tell.  He  was  playing  a  desperate 
game,  and  was  ready  to  take  any  chances. 
Peggy  was  a  plucky  girl  to  face  him." 

Dr.  McAlister  came  out  of  a  short  reverie. 

"  I  think  she  rather  enjoyed  the  fun  of  it 
all,"  he  said  thoughtfully.  "  If  I  am  any  judge 
of  girls,  Peggy  is  n't  easily  frightened." 

"  Look  out  that  you  don't  spoil  her,  Hu,"  his 
sister  cautioned  him. 

He  shook  his  head. 

"  If  I  know  anything  of  girls,"  he  quoted ; 
"  and  I  do,  for  I  assisted  at  your  youth,  Ted ; 
if  I  know  anything  at  all  about  girls,  when  a 
fifteen-year-old  girl  has  done  a  really  fine  thing, 
I  see  no  harm  in  telling  her  of  the  fact.  Some- 
times a  little  praise  acts  as  a  goad.  It  sets  a 
pace  that  she  feels  in  honor  bound  to  keep  up." 


160  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

Mrs.  Farrington  nodded  meditatively. 

"  Hu,  you  ought  never  to  have  been  a  bach- 
elor," she  said. 

Peggy,  meanwhile,  was  enthroned  in  the  ham- 
mock, with  Kingsley  and  John  at  her  feet,  while 
she  told  the  tale  of  her  adventures.  For  the 
once,  she  was  queen  bee  of  the  hive,  and  she  was 
taking  infinite  delight  in  her  supremacy,  infinite 
pleasure  in  the  consciousness  that,  for  the  once, 
even  Kingsley  Barrett  was  treating  her  with 
respect. 

"  But,  really  and  truly,  were  n't  you  fright- 
ened, Peggy  ?  "  Ursula  asked  at  length. 

"  Not  half  so  frightened  as  I  was  wrathy  at 
Sophia.  Great  stupid!  She  could  have  made 
the  man  think  she  was  about  to  eat  him  up. 
Instead,  she  greeted  him  like  a  long-lost  brother, 
and  kissed  his  hair  into  sticky  little  spikes  all 
over  his  forehead." 

"  What  did  he  look  like  ?  "  John  inquired. 

"  Horrid,"  she  replied  tersely. 

"  Just  a  plain,  every-day  sort  of  villain  ?  " 
Kingsley  queried. 

"  Not  according  to  my  idea.  He  was  short, 
and  used  cheap  perfumery  and  a  patent  collar 
all  shiny  blue.  I  prefer  a  villain  in  top  boots 
and  a  red  neckerchief,  myself.  They  are  much 
more  inspiring." 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  161 

"  Suppose  he  had  heard  you  moving  towards 
the  door,  and  bounced  out  at  you  ? "  Ursula 
suggested. 

"  Then  I  should  have  banged  him  with  the 
big  office  ruler,  and  called  Andrew,"  Peggy 
replied  tranquilly.  "  There  's  no  use  in  bring- 
ing up  bugbears  that  didn't  happen,  Ursula. 
It  was  all  very  matter  of  fact  and  funny.  The 
only  question  was  whether  I  could  coax  him 
into  the  vault." 

"  Where  did  you  get  the  idea,  Peggy  Ann  ?  " 
Kingsley  inquired. 

"  Ask  Cousin  Eudora.  There  's  a  dark  closet 
under  the  front  stairs,"  Peggy  explained. 
"  What 's  sauce  for  the  gosling  is  sauce  for  the 
gander.  Of  course  I  could  n't  order  him  into 
the  closet,  as  Cousin  Eudora  used  to  order  me, 
so  I  had  to  trap  him." 

"  You  certainly  did  it,"  John  said  admir- 
ingly. "  I  wish  I  had  been  there  to  see." 

Peggy  laughed  at  the  memory. 

"  I  wish  you  had  been  there  when  we  opened 
the  vault  door,  Jack.  It  was  so  funny  and  so 
solemn ;  just  like  the  way  one  calls  the  cat  and 
opens  up  a  mouse-trap.  Andrew  opened  the 
door,  and  Hal  pulled  me  out  of  the  way  into 
a  corner,  and  the  policemen  stood  in  a  ring,  with 
U 


162  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

their  clubs  ready  to  knock  him  down.  Then 
Andrew  put  his  eye  to  the  crack  and  opened  the 
door  a  bit  wider.  There  was  an  awful  pause; 
but  nothirfg  happened.  Then  he  banged  the 
door  wide  open,  and  we  all  looked  in.  The 
man  was  sitting  there,  with  his  back  against 
the  safe  and  his  shoe-soles  in  our  very  faces, 
and  his  hair  dried  all  into  spikes,  as  Sophia 
had  left  it." 

"  What  did  he  say  ?  Did  he  swear  very 
badly  ?  "  Ursula  asked  greedily. 

Peggy  giggled  again. 

"  That  was  the  funniest  part  of  the  whole. 
He  just  said,  '  Gentlemen,  that  girl  has  trumped 
my  ace.'  Then  he  stood  up  and  dusted  himself 
off  as  calmly  as  if  he  had  merely  slipped  off  his 
bicycle." 

From  his  seat  on  the  floor,  Kingsley  looked  up 
at  her  approvingly. 

"  Peggy,  you  're  a  brick,"  he  said. 

Her  cheeks  dimpled ;  then  an  echo  of  the  old 
hostile  ring  came  back  into  her  voice  as  she 
answered,  — 

"  Don't  be  too  sure.  And,  anyway,  it  seems 
to  have  taken  some  time  for  you  to  discover  it." 

The  next  afternoon,  however,  found  her  re- 
penting her  words. 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  163 

"  I  wish  Rex  did  n't  exasperate  me  so,  Jack," 
she  said  suddenly. 

"  What  's  the  matter  with  you  two  ?  You 
never  seem  to  get  on,"  John  responded,  with 
masculine  bluntness. 

"  I  know  it.  I  'm  sorry  ;  but  I  don't  think 
it  's  all  my  fault." 

"  But  everybody  likes  Rex." 

"  I  'm  somebody,"  she  retorted. 

"  Well,  why  don't  you  like  him?  " 

"  Because  he  is  so  everlastingly  cocky,"  she 
replied  frankly.  "  From  the  first  day  I  ever 
saw  him  till  to-day,  I  've  never  seen  him  when 
he  did  n't  behave  as  if  he  were  the  one  great 
toad  in  a  puddle  full  of  tadpoles.  It  drives  me 
half  frantic.  He  's  polite  to  the  tadpoles  — 
sometimes  ;  but  his  very  politeness  goes  against 
my  grain." 


y°u  are  n>t  fair  to  Rex." 
Peggy  liked  John.    In  certain  ways,  the  tall, 

blond,  self-contained  fellow  came  rather  near 

to  her  girlish  ideals.     Just  now,  she  liked  his 

direct  defence  of  his  friend. 

"  What  makes  you  think  so  ?  "  she  asked  more 

gently. 

"  I  don't  think  ;    I  know.     You  take  him  on 

the  surface,  and  you  hate  him  because  he  teases 


164  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

you.  Of  course  he  teases  you.  He  teases  every- 
thing. But  you  don't  see  the  other  side,  that 
he  'a  always  generous  and  jolly,  always  ready 
to  share  his  bread  and  cheese  with  the  next 
man." 

"  And  always  ready  to  let  you  know  he 
thinks  he  is  just  about  perfection,"  Peggy 
added  discontentedly. 

John  looked  at  her  haughtily  for  a  moment. 

"  Peggy  Arterburn,  if  you  were  a  boy,  I  'd 
thrash  you  for  that  speech.  As  long  as  you  're 
a  girl,  I  suppose  I  Ve  got  to  reason  with  you, 
though  I  never  yet  saw  a  girl  that  would  listen 
to  reason,"  he  said  sharply. 

Peggy  stared  approvingly  at  the  scarlet  spot 
that  was  showing  itself  in  either  cheek.  Anger 
was  undoubtedly  becoming  to  John  Myers. 

"  And  I  never  yet  saw  a  man  who  would  take 
time  to  do  any  reasoning,"  she  retaliated. 

"  Well,  you  just  listen  now.  Rex  Barrett 
was  brought  up  in  a  family  that  thought  the 
world  was  n't  good  enough  for  him." 

"  So  were  you."  Peggy's  accent  was  full  of 
composure. 

"What  if  I  was?  But  there 's  the  point.  It 
came  within  an  ace  of  spoiling  me.  Ask  Ursula. 
But  Rex  never  has  been  spoiled." 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  165 

"  No,"  Peggy  drawled.     "  He  's  past  that." 

John  crossed  his  knees  with  an  angry  jerk. 

"  Look  here,  Peggy  Arterburn,  you  don't 
know  what  you  're  talking  about.  There  is  n't 
a  more  popular  man  in  his  class  than  Rex 
Barrett ;  there  is  n't  a  more  generous  one,  or 
one  more  loyal  to  his  friends  than  he  is." 

"  That 's  what  Nathalie  says,"  Peggy  an- 
swered calmly.  "  I  don't  agree  with  her, 
though." 

"  Just  because  you  don't  know  him  —  " 

Peggy  interrupted  his  sentence. 

"  I  have  known  him  a  good  deal  longer  than 
you  have,  you  know." 

"  But  not  as  well." 

"  Don't  be  too  sure,"  she  said  loftily. 

John  changed  his  line  of  argument. 

"  Peggy,  have  you  ever  known  Rex  to  do  a 
sneaky  thing,  or  a  thing  that  was  caddish  ?  " 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  caddish  ?  " 

"  Off  color.  Not  like  a  man.  Oh,  you  know 
what  I  mean." 

Peggy  rebuked  him. 

"  No.  Please  remember  that,  in  Northford, 
we  don't  talk  student  slang." 

"  That 's  not  student  slang ;  it 's  a  good 
English  word.  But  I  don't  want  to  fight  about 


166  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

side  issues ;  I  want  to  find  out  what 's  the 
matter  with  Rex  Barrett." 

"  But  you  just  said  there  was  n't  anything 
the  matter  with  Rex  Barrett." 

"  Well,  hang  it,  there  is  n't !  " 

"  Then  how  can  you  expect  to  find  it  out  ? " 

John  rose  stiffly  and  started  down  the  steps. 
Nonchalantly  Peggy  rocked  to  and  fro,  until 
he  was  half  way  across  the  lawn.  Then  she 
called,  — 

"  Oh,  Jack,  come  back !  " 

"  Can't,"  he  answered,  without  turning  his 
head. 

"  Why  not  ?  " 

"  Letters  to  write." 

With  a  dozen  swift  steps,  she  gained  his  side, 
and  stood  looking  up  at  him  with  merry,  mock- 
ing eyes. 

"  You  know  that  is  nothing  in  the  world  but 
a  fib,  Jack  Myers.  Two  minutes  ago,  you  were 
settled  for  the  whole  afternoon.  You  'd  much 
better  come  back  and  finish  fighting  it  out. 
It 's  sneaky  to  run  away  after  the  first  round." 

He  glanced  down  at  her  eager  brown  face 
above  the  crisp  white  gown,  and  his  anger  cooled 
a  little. 

"  Peggy,  you  are  a  trial,"  he  said,   as  he 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  167 

allowed  himself  to  be  escorted  back  to  the 
veranda. 

"  I  know  that.  That 's  why  I  am  so  good  for 
you  all.  The  best  salad  needs  a  little  red  pep- 
per," she  returned.  Then,  as  she  seated  herself, 
her  wayward  mood  suddenly  left  her.  "  Jack, 
I  like  the  way  you  stand  up  for  Rex.  It  is  very 
becoming  to  you,"  she  added. 

"  I  want  you  to  like  Rex." 

"  Perhaps  I  do,  better  than  I  am  willing  to 
show." 

"  What  'a  the  harm  of  showing  it  ?  " 

Peggy  rested  her  elbows  on  her  knees  and 
her  chin  on  her  hands.  Her  arms  showed  round 
and  brown  where  her  thin  sleeves  fell  away 
from  them,  and  her  hair,  ruffled  by  the  summer 
breeze,  stood  out  from  her  face  in  loosened 
rings.  For  the  moment,  her  shrewd  eyes  were 
gentle,  and  John,  as  he  watched  her,  told  him- 
self that  this  momentary  mood  sat  well  upon 
her. 

"  I  'm  not  so  sure  you  would  show  it  in  my 
place,"  she  said  slowly.  "  Rex  teases  me ;  he 
makes  it  perfectly  evident  that  it  is  all  Nathalie 
with  him,  that  he  thinks  I  am  nothing  but  a 
pert  child.  He  is  always  so  easy  and  elegant, 
and  so  —  so  immaculate  that  he  makes  me  feel 


168  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

shabby  and  commonplace  in  comparison.  It 's 
not  that  I  am  afraid  of  him.  I  'm  no  more 
afraid  of  him  than  I  am  of  you,  but  you  never 
make  me  feel  like  a  hanger-on.  It  is  n't  exactly 
that  he  patronizes  me,  either ;  but  he  just  makes 
me  feel  at  a  disadvantage,  whenever  I  am  with 
him." 

"  I  don't  see  why." 

"  Neither  do  I ;  but  it  is  there,  and  it  makes 
me  fighty.  If  he  were  n't  always  so  the  best 
of  every  single  situation,  I  should  get  over  it," 
Peggy  replied,  with  a  recurrent  wave  of  im- 
patience. "  If  just  once,  one  single  time,  I 
could  see  Rex  Barrett  get  the  worst  of  things, 
I  should  n't  be  afraid  of  him  any  more." 

John  looked  at  her  distrustfully. 

"  You  don't  want  anything  to  happen  to  him, 

Peggy?" 

"  Of  course  not.  I  'm  not  so  bad  as  that. 
Away  down  underneath  it  all,  I  like  Rex;  at 
least,  I  should  like  him,  if  I  dared,"  she  an- 
swered. "  It 's  only  that  I  don't  dare.  We 
never  meet  on  even  ground,  and  I  hate  being 
the  under  dog  in  all  the  fights.  If  the  time 
ever  comes  that  Rex  does  lose  his  luck,  I  will 
stand  by  him  as  well  as  anybody." 

And  she  was  true  to  her  word. 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  169 


CHAPTER   THIRTEEN 

AT  The  Savins,  amateur  theatricals  were  the 
order  of  the  day.  Home-made  wigs  and 
slashed  doublets  of  cotton  flannel  lay  about  on 
veranda  chairs,  and  Kingsley  and  John  wan^ 
dered  about  with  playbooks  sticking  out  of  their 
side  pockets.  Peggy's  will  had  been  law,  during 
the  week  following  the  office  episode,  and,  for 
some  days,  Peggy  had  been  willing  an  out-door 
play  with  all  her  might  and  main.  Accordingly, 
she  had  resolved  to  strike  while  the  iron  was 
hot. 

Hubert  McAlister,  mindful  of  certain  chap- 
ters of  his  own  boyhood,  had  agreed  with  Peggy 
that  the  plan  was  a  good  one.  He  had  promised 
to  furnish  the  audience,  if  Peggy  would  furnish 
the  actors.  Together,  they  had  enlisted  the 
sympathies  of  Mrs.  Farrington;  and,  after 
many  hours  of  anxious  council,  they  had  decided 
upon  a  play  by  the  latest-elected  Academician. 
To  Mrs.  Farrington's  plea  for  its  suitability  and 


170  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

its  literary  merits,  Peggy  had  added  the  more 
prosaic  one  of  its  needing  but  six  characters  and 
a  mob,  and  the  mob,  she  argued,  could  be  left 
to  the  imagination.  Then,  the  council  ended, 
she  sallied  forth  to  gather  together  her  company. 

To  her  surprise,  she  met  with  unexpected 
successes  and  unexpected  obstacles.  John,  on 
whom  she  had  counted  as  a  sure  ally,  scoffed  at 
the  whole  idea,  and  denied  his  ability  to  act, 
or  even  to  learn  his  lines.  Kingsley,  on  the 
other  hand,  plunged  into  the  discussion  with 
great  zest,  offered  to  take  any  or  all  of  the  parts, 
from  the  hero  to  the  mob,  and,  in  the  space  of 
five  minutes,  gave  her  more  practical  sugges- 
tions regarding  stagecraft  than  she  had  gained 
from  her  whole  Northford  experiences. 

"  But,  if  we  can't  have  Jack,  we  may  as  well 
give  up  the  whole  thing,"  Peggy  said  mourn- 
fully, after  she  emerged,  worsted,  from  an  hour- 
long  argument  with  John. 

"  Never  say  die,  Peggy  Ann,"  Kingsley  ad- 
vised her  cheerfully.  "  I  '11  play  all  the  parts 
but  yours,  if  need  be ;  but  we  are  going  to  put 
the  thing  through." 

"  What  do  you  suppose  is  the  reason  he  won't 
act  ?  "  she  demanded. 

"  He  says  he  is  bound  to  have  stage  fright," 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  171 

Ursula  answered,  from  her  seat  farther  up  the 
slope. 

"  Perfect  nonsense !  I  'd  be  ashamed  to  own 
it,  anyway,"  Peggy  said  irately.  "  It 's  mean 
to  break  up  the  whole  play,  too.  Just  think  how 
lovely  it  would  be,  out  here  under  these  trees !  " 

"  Can't  you  wrestle  with  Petti  jack,  Ursula  ?  " 
Kingsley  asked. 

"No  use.  When  he  makes  up  his  mind,  he 
can't  be  budged,  any  more  than  Mount  Ararat 
can.  He  —  " 

Peggy  interrupted. 

"  He  's  not  going  to  get  off  so  easily  as  all 
that.  You  go  for  him,  Rex.  Then,  if  that 
does  n't  work,  I  '11  attack  him  again." 

"  Can't  we  get  on  without  him  ? "  Ursula 
suggested. 

"  I  don't  care  whether  we  can  or  can't.  We 
just  won't.  He  has  no  business  to  look  Lorenzo 
to  perfection,  and  then  refuse  to  act,"  Peggy 
said  undauntedly.  "  What 's  more,  he  is  going 
to  act." 

"  Don't  be  too  sure.  Let 's  count  up,  and  see 
what  material  we  have  already.  You  are  going 
to  do  Marie,  Peggy." 

"  Unless  Ursula  wants  it,"  Peggy  answered, 
with  reluctant  generosity. 


172  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

Ursula's  color  came.  She  too  loved  theat- 
ricals; she  too  had  been  casting  covetous  eyes 
over  the  lines  of  Marie,  the  heroine. 

"  Oh,  I  think  you  'd  better  do  Marie,  Peggy." 

"  Not  if  you  want  it."  Peggy's  accent  was 
courteously  hostile. 

"  But  you  have  all  the  care." 

"  All  the  more  reason  I  should  have  a  small 
part."  Peggy's  tone  lost  its  courteous  hostility 
and  became  viciously  polite. 

"  But  Marie  is  the  best  part." 

"  So  I  think." 

"  And  you  want  me  to  take  it  ?  " 

"  I  think  perhaps  it  would  be  better  on  some 
accounts  if  you  were  to  take  it,"  Peggy  ex- 
plained elaborately. 

She  had  reckoned  without  her  host.  Ursula's 
face  lighted,  as  she  hastened  to  close  the  bargain. 

"  Well,  if  you  really  think  so.  But  it 's  so 
dear  of  you,  Peggy,  to  give  up  Marie,  when  I 
know  you  would  make  so  much  more  of  it  than 
I  can." 

"  I  don't  know.  If  you  believe  I  can  do  it 
bet—  " 

Peggy  was  already  repenting  of  her  rash 
generosity;  but  Ursula  rushed  on  in  happy 
unconsciousness,  — 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  173 

"  Well,  you  're  a  dear,  generous  girl,  and  I 
will  do  the  very  best  I  can." 

Peggy  glared  at  her  in  silent  wrath;  but 
Ursula  was  dazzled  by  the  sun  in  her  eyes,  and 
saw  nothing. 

"  What  will  you  take,  then  ?  "  Ursula  asked. 

"  Toinette." 

"  Peggy !  That 's  the  poorest  part  of  all," 
Ursula  protested.  "  She  is  nothing  but  a 
servant." 

"  What  of  that  ?  I  've  come  to  the  conclusion 
that  that 's  what  I  'm  best  fitted  for,"  Peggy 
said  gruffly,  for  the  sudden  disappointment  had 
wrecked  all  her  carefully-built  castles  in  the 
air.  As  Marie,  she  had  planned  to  astonish  her 
brother  and  Hubert  McAlister  with  the  tragic 
power  of  her  acting.  As  Toinette,  the  maid, 
she  could  merely  walk  through  her  part,  in  grim 
revolt  at  its  tameness. 

"  But  it  is  so  short,"  Ursula  urged  again. 

"  So  much  the  less  to  learn,"  Peggy  retorted. 

"  Why  don't  you  be  the  mother  ?  " 

"  Nathalie  is  built  for  that." 

"  Well ;  but  I  'm  sorry.  Now,  if  you  really 
want  me  to  talk  to  Jack,  I  '11  see  what  I  can  do 
with  him."  And  Ursula  rose  and  sauntered 
away  towards  the  house,  still  too  absorbed  in 


174  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

her  own  content  to  pay  any  heed  to  Peggy's 
darkening  face.  * 

A  pause  followed  her  going.  Peggy  was  too 
full  of  woe  to  dare  trust  her  voice  just  then. 
Circumstances  had  run  away  with  her,  and  had 
betrayed  her  into  the  involuntary  giving  up  of 
the  one  thing  she  had  been  most  determined  to 
possess.  Kingsley,  meanwhile,  had  been  watch- 
ing the  scene  with  interest.  Ursula  had  had  no 
notion  of  being  selfish;  nevertheless,  for  the 
first  time  in  his  life,  Kingsley's  sympathies  had 
been  wholly  with  Peggy.  From  the  first,  it  had 
been  tacitly  understood  that  Peggy  was  to  have 
the  part  of  Marie.  Now,  caught  in  a  trap  of  her 
own  making,  it  had  never  seemed  to  occur  to  her 
to  reassert  her  lost  rights.  A  word  from  him 
would  have  set  the  matter  straight ;  but  he  was 
possessed  of  a  sudden  curiosity  to  see  how  the 
virtue  of  renunciation  would  sit  upon  Peggy's 
shoulders.  Plainly,  it  galled  her;  but  it  was 
not  unbecoming,  and  Kingsley  resolved  to  let 
it  rest  there. 

"  Oh,  dear !  "  Peggy  said  at  length,  when 
Ursula's  figure  vanished  from  sight  among  the 
trees. 

Kingsley  purposely  misunderstood  her. 

"  Too  bad  Pettijack  won't  act;    isn't  it?" 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  175 

"  It 's  not  that ;   but  —  " 

"  Oh,  it  will  go  off  all  right,  Peggy  Ann. 
Ask  Hal  to  take  the  odd  part." 

"Hal  ?   Harry  Arterburn  ?"  she  said  blankly. 

"  Sure." 

"  He  won't  act." 

"  Why  not  won't  he  ?  " 

"  He  's  too  old." 

"  Mac  is  going  in  for  it." 

"  That 's  different." 

"  They  're  just  of  an  age." 

"  Yes ;  but  Mac  will  act  because  Nathalie 
does." 

"  And  Hal  will  act  because  Ursula  does. 
Want  to  bet  ?  " 

"  No ;  there  is  n't  chance  enough  for  you,  to 
make  it  fair.  Harry  Arterburn  would  no  sooner 
act  than  he  would  pick  a  pocket." 

"  Offer  him  Alphonse  and  see,"  Kingsley  pre- 
dicted cheerfully. 

"  Alphonse?  It 's  Alphonse  you  're  going  to 
do." 

"  No ;  I  Ve  changed  my  mind.  I  want 
Jacques." 

"  Jacques  !  Rex,  that 's  a  worse  part  than 
mine,  and  you  have  n't  any  Ursula  to  —  " 

"  Steady !  "  Kingsley  cautioned  her.    "  When 


176  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

you  Ve  done  a  good  piece  of  work,  Peggy  Ann, 
don't  add  any  finishing  touches,  or  you  may 
spoil  it.  But  Jacques  has  a  possibility  that 
appeals  to  me.  There  's  the  one  scene  over  the 
fence,  where  Jacques  and  Toinette  have  the 
stage  to  themselves,  and  they  can  make  as  much 
or  as  little  of  it  as  they  please." 

Peggy  flushed  under  the  steadfast  gaze  that 
seemed  to  be  looking  her  over  with  a  new  in- 
terest. Then  she  flushed  still  deeper,  as  she 
caught  his  meaning.  She  gave  a  short,  sidelong 
nod  of  decision. 

"  Eex,  we  '11  do  it  together ;  and,  what 's 
more,  we  '11  make  it  the  main  scene  of  the  whole 
play." 

Satisfied  with  his  manoeuvre,  Kingsley  rolled 
over  on  his  back  and  lay  blinking  up  at  the 
sun. 

"  Modesty  is  n't  your  strong  point,  Peggy 
Ann,"  he  observed.  "  Nevertheless,  I  think 
you  have  told  the  truth.  Now  I  want  you  to 
promise  me  one  thing." 

"What's  that?" 

"  Do  you  promise  ?  " 

"  Never,  without  knowing  what  I  'm  prom- 


ising." 


Then   you  're   no   woman,"    Kingsley   re- 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  177 

turned  calmly.     "  They  generally  promise  in 
haste,  and  break  their  promises  at  leisure." 

"Much  you  know  about  it,"  Peggy  replied 
hotly.  "  Women  always  keep  their  promises, 
women  worth  counting,  that  is.  And,  even  if 
they  did  n't,  I  don't  think  it 's  manners  to  slan- 
der women  to  a  woman's  face." 

Kingsley  peered  over  his  shoulder. 

"  No ;  I  mean  myself,"  she  explained 
hotly. 

"  You  ?     You  're  nothing  but  a  little  girl." 

Peggy  sniffed  in  taciturn  hostility. 

"  Why,  it  seems  only  yesterday,"  Kingsley 
went  on,  with  thoughtful  deliberation ;  "  that 
you  upset  Nathalie's  piecebags,  and  went  to 
sleep  on  the  ruins." 

Peggy's  color  came. 

"  Rex,  I  wish  you  would  remember  there  are 
some  things  —  " 

"  It  was  one  day  when  you  were  shut  up  in 
the  closet,"  Kingsley  continued. 

"  Kingsley,  keep  still !  What  was  it  you 
wanted  me  to  promise  ?  " 

Kingsley  came  out  from  his  reminiscent  mood 
with  a  jerk. 

"  Oh,  yes.     And  you  '11  promise  ?  " 

"  Not  in  the  dark." 

12 


178  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

"  Like  the  dark  closet  ?  You  were  put  in 
there  because  —  " 

Peggy  rose. 

"  Where  are  you  going,  Peggy  Ann  ?  " 

"  Into  the  house." 

"  Don't." 

"  I  prefer  to." 

"Pax  vobiscum!"  Kingsley- remarked  com- 
posedly.   "  Being  interpreted,  that  means  we  '11 
cry  quits  and  start  again.     Don't  let 's  fight, 
Peggy  Ann.     It  is  entirely  too  warm." 
-"I  did  n't  begin  it." 

"  IsTo ;  perhaps  not.  Therefore  it 's  your 
place  to  end  it.  As  I  said  before,  pax  vobis- 
cum! Now,  promise*  me  this:  if  you  do 
Toinette  to  my  Jacques,  promise  me  you  won't 
rehearse  our  one  scene  with  the  others,  or  tell 
them  anything  about  it  until  the  final  dress 
rehearsal." 

"  Is  that  all  ?  Of  course,  I  '11  promise  that. 
But  what  a  fuss  to  make  over  such  a  small 
matter !  " 

"  Don't  be  too  sure  it  is  a  small  matter,  Peggy 
Ann." 

"  It  is  only  five  or  six  speeches  apiece." 

"  Mayhap.  Let  be ;  let  be !  "  Kingsley 
tapped  his  brow,  waved  his  hands,  palm  up, 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  179 

and  then,  rising,  departed  without  another 
word. 

Late  that  same  evening,  he  walked  into  Mrs. 
Harrington's  library,  kicked  a  hassock  to  her 
side  and  then  coiled  up  his  long  length  in- 
gratiatingly at  her  feet. 

"  Auntie  Teddy,  am  I  your  pet  and  darling 
favorite  newy  ?  "  he  demanded. 

Resting  her  hand  on  his  head,  she  tilted  the 
head  backwards  and  looked  down  into  his  eyes. 

"  Certainly  not.  Mac  is  my  favorite,"  she 
returned,  laughing. 

"  Fickle  woman !  When  I  was  ill,  once  on  a 
time,  you  called  me  your  dearest  boy." 

"  It  was  merely  a  figure  of  speech,  Rex. 
Still,  you  '11  pass  in  a  crowd." 

"  So  glad!  But  now  I  want  you  to  do  some- 
thing for  me,  Aunt  Ted.  By  the  way,  did  any- 
one ever  think  to  mention  to  you  that  you  have 
the  beauty  of  Venus  and  the  mental  graces  of 
Minerva  ?  " 

"  Often.     But  what  do  you  want  ?  " 

"  Has  it  ever  occurred  to  you  that  dramatic 
writing  is  just  in  your  line  ? " 

"  Flatterer !  " 

"  No ;  honor  bright,  I  'm  getting  to  the 
point,"  Kingsley  protested.  "  Are  you  too 


180  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

busy  with  your  everlasting  old  novel  to  rewrite 
one  scene  in  this  play  we  are  going  to  give  ?  " 

"  Which  ?  " 

"  The  little  one  between  Toinette  and 
Jacques." 

"  But  that 's  no  scene  at  all,  Rex.  What  do 
you  want  to  do  with  it  ?  " 

"  Now  you  see  here."  Kingsley  rose,  as  he 
spoke,  and  faced  his  aunt  from  the  hearthrug. 
"  There  is  n't  anything  to  it  now ;  but  there  's 
got  to  be.  Peggy  and  I  are  going  to  do  it,  and 
we  want  you  to  write  it  over  and  make  it  into 
one  of  the  crack  scenes." 

"You  and  Peggy?     But  I  thought  —  " 

Kingsley  interrupted  her. 

"  So  did  we  all,  till  a  few  minutes  ago. 
Ursula  has  upset  it  all,  though.  It  was  this 
way.  Peggy  had  an  attack  of  manners  and 
offered  Marie's  part  to  Ursula.  Such  attacks 
are  so  rare  that  no  wonder  Ursula  took  it  in 
earnest.  She  gobbled  it  up  from  under  Peggy's 
very  nose.  Peggy  was  ready  to  wail  or  to  fight, 
or  both;  then  she  got  a  good  grip  of  herself 
and  stood  by  her  words,  and  Ursula  went  off, 
without  any  idea  that  Peggy's  heart  was 
cracked.  As  a  rule,  I  've  no  use  for  Peggy. 
This  time,  though,  I  rather  liked  her,  and  I  'm 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  181 

going  to  help  her  out  of  her  woes.  I  have  told 
her  I  want  to  do  Jacques,  and  I  made  her 
promise  to  keep  our  scene  a  secret  till  the  final 
day.  Now,  the  question  is:  will  you  rewrite 
that  scene,  or  must  I  try  to  do  it,  myself? 
Somehow  or  other,  it 's  got  to  he  done ;  but  I 
shall  probably  bungle  it  entirely." 

Mrs.  Farrington  sat  staring  at  her  tall 
nephew,  while  she  made  a  swift  mental  cal- 
culation. 

"  Bring  over  the  book,  to-morrow,  Rex,"  she 
said  then.  "  If  you  '11  have  it  here,  by  the 
time  I  'm  through  breakfast,  I  will  see  what 
I  can  do  with  it.  It 's  not  in  my  line ;  but  I  'd 
like  to  help  you  out  with  Peggy." 

"  Aunt  Ted,  you  are  n't  half  bad,"  he  re- 
sponded gratefully. 

"  Neither  is  Peggy,"  she  replied ;  "  and  I 
am  delighted  that  at  last  you  are  beginning  to 
find  it  out." 


182  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 


CHAPTER  FOURTEEN 

"     A   FTER  this,  I  '11  never  say  that  things 
JLM.  don't  happen  outside  of  stories,"  Peggy 
observed  contentedly. 

Regardless  of  appearances,  she  was  sitting 
bareheaded  on  a  bench  overlooking  the  Hudson. 
Behind  her,  the  Tomb  rose  white  against  the 
indigo  sky;  before  her,  the  Palisades  stretched 
away  to  the  northward ;  beside  her  was  Hubert 
McAlister.  The  August  sun  above  was  sending 
great  splashes  of  light  down  through  the  trees, 
brightening  the  girl's  hair  and  scorching  her 
nose  to  an  unlovely  scarlet.  Peggy  was  heed- 
less of  sunburn,  however ;  her  contentment  was 
too  perfect  to  be  marred  by  the  thought  of  the 
blistered  nose  to  come. 

"  Then  you  're  having  a  good  day  ?  " 
"  Ain't  I !  "  she  said,  with  the  occasional 
lapse  into  country  vernacular  which  marked  her 
more  earnest  moods.  "  And  to  think  we  used 
to  live  in  sight  of  all  this,  and  I  never  cared  a 
row  of  pins  about  it !  " 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  183 

"  You  were  rather  too  young." 

"  Ten.  I  ought  to  have  had  my  eyes  open 
by  that  time.  Still,  one  needs  to  live  in  the 
country  to  appreciate  the  city.  Nathalie  makes 
me  cross;  she  takes  it  all  so  as  a  matter  of 
course.  Wait  till  I  get  here,  and  see !  " 

"  How  long  must  I  wait  ? "  her  companion 
asked  idly,  with  his  eyes  fixed  on  the  shining 
pathway  of  the  broad  river. 

"  Next  year.  A  year  from  next  fall,  I 
mean." 

"  Are  you  coming  here  then  ?  " 

"  Yes."  Peggy  spoke  with  conscious  pride. 
"  Hal  thinks  he  needs  me  to  keep  house  for 
him." 

"  How  do  you  like  the  prospect  ?  " 

"  I  love  it."  Peggy  clasped  her  hands  rap- 
turously. "  Just  think  of  being  here,  right  in 
the  middle  of  this  great  city,  where  I  can  see 
it  going  on  all  the  time,  night  and  day,  day  in 
and  day  out !  " 

"  And  the  housekeeping  ?  " 

Her  face  fell. 

"  Oh,  that  will  be  the  ugly  part  of  it.  Still, 
I  shall  make  it  as  easy  as  I  can.  We  can  eat 
breakfast  foods  and  baker's  bread,  and  Hal 
says  there  will  be  a  person  to  scrub  up." 


184  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

Man  though  he  was  and  apart  from  domestic 
cares,  Mr.  McAlister  threw  back  his  head  and 
laughed  like  a  boy. 

"  Poor  Harry !  "  he  said  at  length. 

"  I  don't  see  why." 

"  I  was  thinking  of  the  starvation  that  awaits 
him." 

"  Oh,  he  won't  starve,"  Peggy  said  confi- 
dently. "  You  '11  see  how  well  I  am  going  to 
do.  I  shall  be  in  Northfdrd,  all  this  next  yoar, 
and  Cousin  Eudora  will  teach  me  to  do  things. 
I  can  learn  in  a  year,  I  know.  The  worst  of  it 
is,  Cousin  Eudora  is  one  of  those  old-fashioned 
women  who  think  housekeeping  is  the  only 
thing  that  counts." 

"Well,  isn't  it?" 

"  No.  I  don't  believe  in  fussing  over  it  so 
much.  One  can  get  along  easily,  and  be  just 
as  well  off.  Nathalie  makes  me  wild,  with  her 
everlasting  messing,  and  dusting,  and  turning 
vases  of  flowers  round  and  round  to  see  which 
is  the  company  side.  If  things  are  clean  and 
wholesome,  that 's  all  I  care.  I  want  a  little 
time  for  other  things." 

"  I  am  afraid  Harry  will  regret  his  house- 
keeper," Mr.  McAlister  said,  with  the  friendly 
smile  that  took  so  much  of  the  sting  out  of  his 
rebukes. 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  185 

"  Then  he  'd  better  find  it  out,  before  it  is 
too  late,"  Peggy  said  a  little  mutinously. 

"  Or  the  housekeeper  would  better  make  up 
her  mind  to  work  a  little  harder." 

"  Nobody  ever  said  I  was  lazy."  Peggy's 
accent  was  that  of  injured  innocence. 

"  No." 

"  Nor  that  I  shirked." 

"  No." 

She  looked  up  at  him  with  some  asperity. 

"  Do  you  think  I  shirk,  Mr.  McAlister  ?  " 

The  answer  rang  true,  and  it  satisfied  even 

Peggy. 

"  I  think  you  are  the  best  worker  I  have  ever 
had  in  my  office,  Margaret." 

"  Then  what  in  the  world  is  the  matter  ? " 
she  demanded. 

"  Nothing ;  only  that  I  don't  want  you  to 
spoil  your  good  record,  when  you  go  to  house- 
keeping. It 's  all  in  you,  Peggy.  Just  let  it 
come  out.  Hal  needs  a  sister  to  look  out  for 
him.  Make  yourself  as  invaluable  to  him,  next 
year,  as  you  have  been  to  me,  this  summer." 

The  color  rose  in  her  cheeks. 

"  Have  I  really  been  invaluable,  Mr.  Mc- 
Alister?" 

"  Almost.      You    have    worked    well,    and, 


186  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

what 's  more,  you  have  worked  as  if  your  whole 
heart  were  in  it,  as  if  you  enjoyed  it." 

"  So  I  have." 

"  No  more  than  I.  I  shall  miss  you,  when 
you  go  back  to  Northford,  Peggy." 

She  faced  him  abruptly. 

"  Miss  me  in  the  office,  or  miss  me  humanly  ? " 
she  demanded. 

"  Both." 

She  folded  her  hands  at  the  back  of  her 
brown  head,  and  eyed  him,  half  thoughtfully, 
half  mockingly.  Her  lips  were  smiling;  but 
her  eyes  were  gentler  than  usual  and  altogether 
happy. 

"  Then  I  may  as  well  sing  my  Nunc  Dimit- 
tis"  she  observed.  "  It 's  the  very  first  time 
in  my  life,  Mr.  McAlister,  that  anybody  has 
ever  missed  me,  and  I  'm  pow'ful  'fraid  it  will 
be  the  last." 

Hubert  McAlister  had  not  thought  it  neces- 
sary to  specify  the  business  which  had  called 
him  to  New  York,  that  day.  He  had  simply 
announced  to  the  family  at  The  Savins  that 
such  a  trip  was  to  be  made  and,  apparently 
quite  as  an  afterthought,  he  had  invited  Peggy 
to  go  with  him.  For  three  entire  days,  the  girl 
had  lived  in  a  state  of  rapturous  anticipation, 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  187 

alternating,  in  her  leisure  moments,  between 
confiding  her  delight  to  the  velvet  ears  of  Sophia 
Smith  and  rearranging  the  row  of  collar,  belt, 
gloves  and  purse  that  lay  on  her  dressing  table 
in  readiness  for  the  early-morning  start.  And 
yet  the  morning  was  hours  old  to  Peggy  when, 
immaculate  in  her  plain  gown,  she  stood  on  the 
platform,  waiting  for  the  train  which  was  to 
bear  her  cityward. 

During  the  two-hour  journey,  Mr.  McAlis- 
ter's  business  dissolved  into  the  thinnest  possible 
pretence;  and,  as  they  left  the  cars,  Peggy 
realized  that  she  had  before  her  the  prospect 
of  an  entire  day  of  holiday  making.  She  felt 
inclined  to  gasp  at  the  joyous  prospect.  Then 
she  rose  to  meet  it  with  an  attempted  non- 
chalance which  merely  increased  her  compan- 
ion's understanding  of  her  satisfaction. 

"  I  must  step  in  at  Brander's  office,  for  a 
minute,"  he  said,  as  they  were  passing  through 
the  station.  "  Then  we  '11  go  to  the  St.  Denis 
for  lunch,  and  have  the  afternoon  to  play. 
What  do  you  want  to  see  ? " 

Peggy's  answer  was  prompt  and  unexpected. 

"  Wall  Street  and  Grant's  Tomb." 

"  We  are  going  almost  to  Wall  Street  now. 
What  else  ?  The  shops  ?  " 


188  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

"What's  the  use?"  Peggy  said  bluntly. 
"  I  've  all  the  clothes  I  need,  and  no  money  to 
get  any  others." 

Her  companion  looked  slightly  relieved.  His 
idea  of  taking  a  young  girl  to  New  York  con- 
sisted chiefly  in  the  dread  of  dawdling  aimlessly 
among  yards  of  silk  and  ranks  of  yellow  posts 
surmounted  with  be-garlanded  hats.  Peggy's 
programme  pleased  him.  Nevertheless,  he 
forced  himself  to  a  remonstrance. 

"  But  would  n't  you  like  to  see  them  ?  " 

"  What  for  ?  You  can  get  plenty  of  clothes, 
such  as  they  are,  in  Northford.  You  don't  find 
Wall  Street  there,  and  I  've  always  wanted  to 
see  how  it  looks,  outside  the  picture  in  the 
geography." 

"  Well,  is  it  like  the  geography  picture  ?  " 
Mr.  McAlister  asked,  two  hours  later,  as  they 
stood  in  the  south  gateway  of  Trinity  church- 
yard, and  looked  back  into  the  narrow  canon 
from  which  they  had  just  emerged. 

"  Oh,  ever  so  much  better  and  bigger  and 
busier.  I  'm  so  glad  to  have  been  there,  and 
I  love  it  all,  the  knowing  how  it  used  to  be  the 
very  edge  of  the  city,  and  the  feeling  that  now 
it  is  the  very  middle  of  things  and  that  whole 
fortunes  are  made  there,  every  day." 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  189 

"  And  lost,  too,"  he  reminded  her  gravely. 

"Yes,"  she  answered,  with  equal  gravity. 
"  There  's  Jack,  you  know.  I  kept  thinking 
of  him,  while  we  were  in  there,  thinking  that, 
somehow  or  other,  if  it  had  n't  been  for  Wall 
Street,  he  would  have  been  so  rich  he  would  n't 
care  whether  his  clothes  wore  out  or  not." 

"  Do  you  want  to  be  rich,  Peggy  ? " 

As  so  often  happened,  her  reply  surprised 
him. 

"  No ;  not  especially.  I  'd  a  good  deal  rather 
understand  how  money  is  made  than  make  it, 
myself." 

He  looked  down  at  her  thoughtfully,  as  they 
paced  the  walks  of  the  quaint  old  churchyard. 

"  Margaret,  you  ought  to  be  a  business 
woman." 

He  was  astonished  at  the  hot  wave  of  color 
that  surged  up  across  her  face. 

"Oh,  I  wish  I  could!" 

"  Why  can't  you  ?  " 

She  shut  her  teeth  for  a  moment,  before  reply- 
ing quietly,  — 

"  But  what  about  Hal  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  know.  It  would  be  a  good  thing 
for  you  to  be  together.  In  a  way,  he  needs  you. 
Still,  I  'm  not  sure  you  —  " 


190  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

"  Let 's  not  talk  about  it,"  she  begged  him. 
"  It  is  so  queer  how  you  go  into  things,  Mr. 
Hubert.  For  ever  so  long,  I  have  been  uneasy, 
without  knowing  just  what  it  was  I  wanted. 
Now,  all  at  once,  you  have  told  me  what  it  is." 

"  Perhaps  you  would  n't  find  it  any  better 
than  writing  novels,"  he  suggested. 

"  Don't.  That  was  just  a  streak  of  idiocy," 
she  returned.  "  I  want  to  forget  it." 

"  You  may  want  to  forget  this." 

"  No ;  this  is  what  I  've  been  after,  all  the 
time.  I  went  for  the  other,  just  as  babies  grab 
at  all  sorts  of  things,  before  they  learn  to  steer 
their  hands,"  she  said  sagely.  "  I  honestly 
believe  this  is  the  real  thing;  but  I  don't  see 
how  I  am  to  get  it." 

"Wait,"  he  advised  her.  "Things  don't 
come  in  a  day." 

Late  afternoon  found  them  on  the  bench  by 
the  river.  Hubert  had  been  an  excellent  guide, 
and  Peggy  had  explored  to  her  heart's  content. 
Glad  to  rest  and  to  enjoy  the  beauty  of  the  pic- 
ture at  her  feet,  she  had  allowed  the  silence  to 
last  for  long  minutes.  Mr.  McAlister  broke  it. 

"  Margaret,  I  wonder  if  you  realize  how 
much  you  know  about  the  Thomas  case." 

She  dropped  her  reverie  abruptly,  and  be- 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  191 

came  once  more  the  alert,  eager  Peggy  who  occu- 
pied a  corner  of  his  office. 

"  I  know  a  good  deal,"  she  answered.  "  This 
morning  gave  me  ever  so  many  new  points. 
I  was  sorry  to  be  in  the  way,  for  I  could  n't  help 
hearing  all  you  were  saying." 

"  I  knew  you  heard.  What  did  you  think 
about  it  ? " 

"  That  it  cleared  up  most  of  the  weak  spots 
on  our  side,"  she  replied  shrewdly.  "  Now,  if 
we  can  only  get  hold  of  that  missing  footman, 
we  're  all  straight  to  the  end." 

He  smiled  at  her  involuntary  use  of  the  first 
person. 

"  Yes,  that  is  the  present  tangle.  But  he 
may  come  to  light  before  October." 

"  Is  that  when  the  case  comes  up  ? " 

"  Yes,  unless  they  postpone  it  again." 

"  Oh,  dear !  I  shall  be  in  Northford  by  that 
time,  and  miss  all  the  fun.  It  has  been  so  inter- 
esting and  so  full  of  queer  turns  and  tricks. 
Is  all  law  like  that  ?  " 

He  shook  his  head. 

"  No ;  most  of  it  is  prosy  and  dull  enough  to 
make  up.  This  is  an  uncommonly  exciting 
case." 

"  I  should  say  so,  a  man  that  drowned  him- 


192  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

self  in  a  bathtub,  and  left  a  will  leaving  his 
ebony  brushes  to  his  sons  and  neglecting  to 
mention  his  money!  "  Peggy's  tone  betrayed 
her  amusement.  "  But  I  have  just  loved  it  all, 
Mr.  Hubert.  It  has  been  the  cream  of  the  whole 
summer." 

"  And  you  think  you  understand  it  ?  " 

"  Why,  of  course,"  Peggy  answered  coolly. 

He  watched  her  for  a  minute.  Then,  obeying 
some  sudden  whim,  he  said,  — 

"  Margaret,  I  'm  going  to  try  you,  and  see. 
Suppose  you  begin  at  the  very  beginning  and 
tell  me  how  the  case  stands." 

"  With  what  I  heard,  this  morning,  put  in 
at  the  right  places  ? "  she  questioned  eagerly. 

"  Yes." 

"All  right.    Listen!" 

He  did  listen,  and  he  confessed  himself  as- 
tonished at  what  he  heard.  For  full  ten 
minutes,  Peggy's  tongue  wagged  ceaselessly, 
while  her  eyes  lighted  and  the  deep  color  burned 
in  her  cheeks.  Step  by  step,  she  went  over  the 
case,  sifting  her  facts  and  grouping  them  by 
their  importance,  not  with  the  understanding 
of  a  child,  but  with  the  clear-headed  grasp  of 
a  grown  person.  It  was  no  mere  feat  of  mem- 
ory. The  facts  she  had  overheard,  that  morn- 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  193 

ing,  were  as  neatly  labelled  and  put  in  their 
proper  places  as  were  those  she  had  so  often 
heard  discussed  in  the  office  at  home.  As  he 
listened,  Hubert  McAlister  told  himself  that 
the  tempestuous,  aggressive,  cocksure  Peggy 
was  on  the  threshold  of  her  right  work.  For  a 
moment,  he  started  up,  meaning  to  warn  her  to 
keep  her  secrets  well  in  hand.  Then  he  re- 
proached himself.  Peggy  Arterburn  was  not 
the  girl  to  babble  about  facts  of  primary  impor- 
tance. He  was  willing  to  trust  himself  in  her 
hands.  He  settled  back  in  his  seat,  and  heard 
her  in  silence  and  to  the  end. 

His  silence  lasted  so  long  that  she  faced  him 
uneasily. 

"  Well  ?  "  she  demanded. 

Slowly  he  drew  a  long  breath. 

"  You  have  surprised  me,  Margaret,1'  he 
said  then.  "  The  simple  truth  is  that  you  know 
more  about  this  case  than  any  one  except  myself. 
It  may  be  something  of  a  responsibility  for  you ; 
but  I  think  you  will  be  able  to  meet  it.  The 
time  may  come  when  I  shall  need  your  help." 

Her  eyes  met  his  eyes  squarely. 

"  When  you  do,  I  '11  be  on  hand,"  she  an- 
swered, simply  as  a  child. 

13 


194  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 


CHAPTER   FIFTEEN 


"  XTERVOIJS>  Peggy  Ann?" 

i.  ^1  "  Not  a  bit,"  she  returned  undaunt- 
edly, though  her  cheeks  had  gone  white  under- 
neath her  paint. 

Kingsley's  laugh  was  restless. 

"  I  am,  then.  Who  ever  supposed  that  Uncle 
Hu  and  Aunt  Ted  would  have  imported  such 
a  caravan?  They  must  have  been  waiting  to 
pay  off  their  social  debts  for  the  last  ten  years. 
Peggy  Ann,  I  confess  to  a  sickly  feeling  of 
fear." 

"What's  the  use?  Oh,  look  at  that  fat 
woman  with  the  purple  lawn  frills  !  " 

"  Where  is  your  respect  ?  She  is  Mrs.  Judge 
of  Probate.  The  dromedary  in  green  is  Mrs. 
Baptist  Minister." 

"  Come  to  the  theatre  ?  " 

"  Certainly.  She  is  only  Mrs.  Minister. 
Peggy,  suppose  they  don't  like  our  scene  ?  " 

"  Then  they  can  lump  it,"  she  replied  com- 
posedly, as  she  settled  her  cap.  "  It  's  the  best 
scene,  and  we  do  it  awfully  well." 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  195 

"  There  's  one  thing  about  it :  you  '11  never 
be  hung  for  your  modesty,  Peggy  Ann.  Still, 
if  it  does  n't  go,  we  can  throw  the  blame  on 
Aunt  Ted." 

Peggy  rose  to  Mrs.  Farrington's  support. 

"  Yes ;  but  it  is  the  best  part  of  the  .whole 
play.  I  wonder  what  the  others  will  say,  when 
it  comes." 

"  Don't  care.    That 's  our  show,  Peggy  Ann." 

"  How  did  you  ever  get  them  to  cut  it  out  at 
rehearsal  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  Told  them  we  fought  like  fury,  every  time 
we  went  through  it,  and  they  'd  much  better 
keep  out  of  the  way." 

Peggy  laughed  till  she  shook  her  cap  awry. 

"  Kex !    What  an  awful  fib !  " 

"  Mayhap.  Still,  they  could  n't  contradict 
me,  knowing  our  habits." 

His  tone  was  mocking  and,  underneath  her 
paint,  Peggy  flushed  a  little.  The  laugh  died 
out  of  her  eyes,  as  she  faced  her  companion 
gravely. 

"  But  do  you  know,  Eex,  I  've  an  idea  that 
the  worst  of  our  fighting  may  be  in  the  past." 

He  looked  down  at  her  quizzically. 

"  Feel  ill  anywhere,  Peggy  Ann  ?  " 

"111?    No.    Why?" 


196  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

"  Penitence,  and  all  that.  It  sounds  sort  of 
mortuary.  When  people  like  you  talk  about 
their  sins  being  in  the  past,  it  generally  is 
supposed  to  mean  business." 

She  eyed  him  half  merrily,  half  in  despair. 

"  Hex,  you  are  incorrigible." 

"  Yes.  It  runs  in  the  family.  Mac  used 
to  be;  then  he  handed  on  his  supply  to  me. 
He  was  saved  by  an  Arterburn,"  Kingsley  added 
suggestively. 

"Oh."  " 

"  Yes.  It  may  be  that  the  same  fate  is  in 
store  for  me.  Strange  if  you  should  prove  to 
be  my  means  of  sanctification,  Peggy  Ann !  It 
will  be  one  more  proof  that  good  can  come  from 
untoward  sources." 

"  And  that  untoward  objects  can  be  moved 
by  good  influences,"  she  retorted,  with  a  good- 
natured  indifference  which  of  old  she  had  been 
powerless  to  show  in  the  presence  of  Kingsley's 
teasing.  "  But  do  stop  talking  nonsense,  Rex, 
and  help  me  compose  my  mind.  Are  the  others 
dressed  ? " 

"  Ursula  and  Nathalie  are  ready.  Mac  was 
wrestling  with  his  wig,  when  I  left  him.  It 
was  too  tight  in  the  cerebellum,  and  he  could  n't 
make  it  stick," 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  197 

"  You  need  n't  be  critical ;  your  bald  spot 
is  fearfully  askew.  But  do  tell  me  who  all 
these  people  are.  Does  n't  Mrs.  Farrington  look 
too  sweet,  out  there  under  the  trees  ? " 

"  She  can't  hold  a  candle  to  the  mater," 
Kingsley  objected,  for  he  was  an  adoring  son. 

In  all  truth,  Mrs.  Barrett  looked  an  ideal 
hostess,  tall  and  graceful  and  gracious  in  her 
long  white  gown.  Beside  her  stood  Mrs.  Far- 
rington, helping  to  receive  the  many  guests,  for 
Hubert  McAlister  had  been  true  to  his  promise, 
and  Peggy's  play  was  assuming  the  dignity  of 
a  function.  The  broad  lawn  of  The  Savins  was 
crowded ;  dainty  gowns  swished  over  the  crisp 
turf,  and  an  occasional  black  coat  threw  into 
relief  the  soft  colors  of  midsummer  finery. 
Out-door  plays  were  a  rarity  in  that  neighbor- 
hood, and  the  McAlisters  had  a  host  of  friends. 
Xevertheless,  only  Mrs.  Farrington  and  her 
twin  brother  below  and  the  two  conspirators 
peering  out  from  an  up-stairs  window  knew  that 
one  scene  of  the  play  had  been  rewritten  for  the 
occasion  by  one  of  the  great  American  novelists, 
and  that,  into  this  little  scene,  she  had  put  some 
of  the  most  effective  work  which  had  ever  come 
from  her  energetic  pen.  Only  the  writer  herself 
knew  what  had  been  her  object  in  the  task. 


198  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

Even  Mrs.  Barrett,  critical  in  all  things, 
admitted  to  herself  that  she  was  satisfied,  an 
hour  later.  The  setting  itself  was  enough  to 
inspire  the  least  enthusiastic  of  actors.  Far 
at  the  west  of  the  grounds,  the  hill  dropped 
away  to  form  a  natural  amphitheatre  where  the 
guests  sat  ranged  on  rugs  and  cushions,  a  bril- 
liant patch  of  color  beneath  the  dark  green  oak 
trees.  Wings  of  tree  trunks,  flies  of  drooping 
boughs,  and  a  background  of  orchard  and 
meadow  bounded  the  great  stage  where  the 
little  romance  worked  itself  out  to  a  sunny 
conclusion. 

It  was  all  very  Frenchy  and  very  frothy 
until,  close  to  the  beginning  of  the  final  act, 
master  and  mistress  left  the  stage  to  their  ser- 
vants, and  the  attention  focussed  itself  upon 
Toinette  and  Jacques. 

"  Why  —  but  —  "  Ursula  protested  softly  in 
the  background. 

Mrs.  Farrington,  also  in  the  background, 
motioned  her  to  silence. 

"  Wait,"  she  said  briefly.  "  Your  cue  won't 
come  for  quite  a  long  time." 

Merry,  mocking,  tormenting,  yet  plaintive, 
the  maid  was  passing  from  mood  to  mood,  now 
teasing  her  would-be  lover,  now  in  hot  dispute, 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  199 

now  dropping  for  a  moment  her  mask  of  way- 
wardness to  show  the  face  of  true  maidenhood 
hidden  underneath.  Then,  of  a  sudden,  she 
became  haughty  again,  and  repelled  his  ad- 
vances with  a  proud  disdain.  From  the  im- 
personal discussion  of  the  foibles  of  master  and 
mistress,  the  scene  wound  on,  turning  and  twist- 
ing this  way  and  that,  in  and  out  among  Toi- 
nette's  moods  until,  with  a  sudden  rush,  it  ended 
in  the  love-making  which  had  been  foreordained 
in  the  beginning. 

It  was  the  great  scene  of  the  play.  The  secret 
had  been  kept  so  well  that  none  of  the  other 
actors  had  gained  an  inkling  of  what  had  been 
in  store  for  them.  Long  hours  of  careful  re- 
hearsing had  done  their  work  and,  as  the  happy 
lovers  sauntered  away  into  the  wings,  the  ap- 
plause from  the  audience  was  caught  up  and 
echoed  tenfold  from  behind  the  scenes. 

"  Shall  we  go  back  ? "  Peggy  asked. 

"  You  bet !  I  don't  often  get  an  encore, 
Peggy  Ann,"  Kingsley  responded  jovially. 
"  I  'm  going  to  have  the  good  of  this  one, 
so  you  may  as  well  come  along  and  see  me 
do  it" 

"You  needn't  take  all  the  credit,"  she  re- 
minded him  saucily. 


200  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

He  stared  down  approvingly  at  the  top  of 
her  head.  All  at  once,  that  day,  it  had  struck 
him  that  little  Peggy  was  going  to  blossom  out 
into  an  uncommonly  pretty  girl.  Of  her  clever- 
ness, he  had  never  felt  any  doubt;  now  he 
wondered  whether  he  had  ever  fully  realized 
certain  of  her  other  qualities. 

"  I  'm  willing  to  take  all  the  credit,"  he  re- 
turned calmly.  "  You  Ve  done  all  the  work ; 
you  ought  to  leave  something  to  me." 

Her  face  brightened,  and  she  held  out  her 
hand  with  a  gesture  which  was  half  the 
wayward  Peggy,  half  the  coquettish  French 
Toinette. 

"  That 's  the  first  good  word  you  ever  said 
of  me,  Rex,"  she  told  him. 

"  Very  likely.  I  'm  not  so  sure  it  will  be 
the  last,  though,"  he  answered,  as,  hand  in 
hand,  they  bowed  low  before  the  audience. 

Back  in  the  rear  rank,  Mrs.  Barrett  touched 
Harry's  arm. 

"  Confess  that  you  are  proud  of  your  sister," 
she  bade  him. 

"  Of  both." 

"  No.  This  is  Peggy's  turn.  Nathalie  is 
almost  perfect ;  but  her  success  does  n't  lie  in 
the  line  of  the  drama.  Peggy  was  distracting." 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  201 

"  What  about  Rex  ? "  he  queried,  with  a 
smile. 

"  He  was  just  her  foil ;  she  has  made  her 
part  and  his,  too.  Don't  grudge  her  her  little 
success,  Harry.  It  is  wonderfully  becoming  to 
her ;  she  fairly  snaps  with  vitality,  and  I  never 
saw  her  look  half  so  well  before." 

"  So  Rex  thinks,"  her  husband  suggested. 

Mrs.  Farrington  had  joined  them.  Now  she 
faced  Mr.  Barrett  with  a  smile. 

"  That  was  just  what  I  intended  he  should 
do,"  she  said. 

He  gave  her  a  sudden  glance  of  compre- 
hension. 

"  Ted,  I  always  knew  you  came  near  being 
a  genius;  but  do  you  mean  that  you  did  it  on 
purpose  ? " 

"  Did  what  ?  "  his  wife  inquired. 

"  Wrote  up  Peggy  in  italics,  put  her  in  just 
as  she  was,  only  more  so,  and  then  left  Rex  to 
discover  her  good  points." 

Mrs.  Farrington  laid  her  finger  on  her 
lip. 

"  Yes ;  but  don't  let  the  others  hear.  I 
thought  it  was  the  best  way  to  show  him  what 
she  really  was  like." 

"  Apparently  he  approves,"  his  father  said, 


202  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

with  a  comically  expressive  glance  towards  the 
distant  spot  among  the  trees  where  Peggy  and 
her  companion  sat  absorbed  in  a  conversation 
so  close  that  presently  it  led  to  their  missing 
their  cue. 

Mrs.  Barrett  studied  them  thoughtfully  for 
a  moment.  Then  she  turned  to  Harry. 

"  Of  course,  they  are  nothing  but  babies,  and 
Rex  is  my  cardiac  core,"  she  said  deliberately. 
"  Nevertheless,  after  years  and  years  have 
lapsed,  I  am  not  sure  I  should  mind  at  all,  if 
he  did." 

Side  by  side  Toinette  and  Jacques  received 
the  congratulations  of  the  departing  guests. 
Ursula  as  heroine  and  Mac  as  hero  each  held 
sway  in  a  small  circle;  but,  for  the  hour,  ser- 
vants' hall  was  the  fashionable  rendezvous,  and 
Peggy's  small  head  was  wellnigh  turned  with 
the  praises  that  were  showered  upon  it.  Kings- 
ley,  meanwhile,  was  receiving  his  share  of  com- 
mendation with  an  amused  tolerance  which  was 
inexpressibly  galling  to  Peggy  to  whom  the 
affair  had  been  a  matter  of  deadly  earnest. 

"  I  believe  you  don't  care  a  snap,  after  all 
the  fuss,"  she  said  irately,  as  the  last  guest  went 
rustling  away. 

Kingsley  scratched  his  bald  spot  thoughtfully. 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  203 

"  Snap  at  me  and  see,"  he  suggested  at 
length. 

"  Thanks.  I  never  snap."  Peggy  was  tired, 
her  girlish  nerves  were  reacting  from  the  ex- 
citement of  the  afternoon,  and  her  tone  was 
undeniably  touchy. 

"  What  about  now  ?  "  he  queried  coolly,  for 
it  never  once  occurred  to  his  masculine  mind 
that  the  girl  was  weary  and  irritable.  To  his 
vast  surprise,  he  had  been  finding  Peggy  a  most 
enjoyable  companion  who,  upon  occasion,  could 
meet  teasing  with  teasing  and  give  good  inter- 
est. As  the  rehearsals  had  gone  on,  the  occa- 
sions had  become  more  and  more  frequent,  until 
he  had  come  to  the  conclusion  that  Peggy's  new 
attitude  would  be  a  constant  one.  Three  weeks 
before,  he  would  have  expected  Peggy's  next 
words.  Now,  however,  they  took  him  quite  by 
surprise.  Moreover,  they  hurt  him  keenly. 

"  It  is  enough  to  make  anybody  snappish, 
Rex  Barrett,  to  have  to  work  over  you  for  three 
mortal  weeks,  and  then  have  you  step  in  and 
take  all  the  credit.  I  really  had  no  idea  you 
could  be  as  selfish  as  all  that." 

Peggy's  thrust  was  neither  true  nor  logical, 
as  she  was  quite  aware.  Nevertheless,  John's 
vaunting  of  his  friend's  generosity  had  rankled 


204  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

in  her  mind.  It  had  seemed  to  her  that  it  had 
been  given  as  a  covert  rebuke  to  herself,  yet  her 
resentment  had  been  directed,  not  against  John, 
but  against  Kingsley.  Forgotten  for  weeks,  it 
now  flashed  up  again.  She  took  no  account  of 
the  fact  that,  without  Kingsley's  intervention, 
her  own  part  in  the  play  would  have  dwindled 
to  insignificance;  she  took  no  account  of  the 
long,  merry  hours  they  had  spent  in  rehearsal. 
She  was  tired.  She  was  discovering,  for  the 
first  time  in  her  life,  that  even  success  is  dis- 
appointing ;  and  she  vented  her  bad  temper  by 
aiming  her  thrust  with  vicious  deliberation. 

Kingsley  undertook  to  reason  with  her. 

"  Peggy  Ann,  what  do  you  mean  ?  Every- 
body is  shying  laurels  and  compliments  at  you. 
Those  that  hit  me  are  only  the  ones  that  miss 
fire." 

"  Oh,  what  is  the  use  of  discussing  it  ?  "  she 
burst  out.  "  At  least,  we  can  be  thankful  it 's 
over  and  done  with." 

This  time,  he  surveyed  her  in  open  astonish- 
ment. 

"  But  I  thought  you  enjoyed  it,  Peggy  Ann." 

"  Do  stop  Peggy- Ann-ing  me !  "  she  said 
angrily.  "  You  know  it 's  not  my  name.  En- 
joy it  ?  How  could  I  ?  " 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  205 

"  The  same  way  I  did,"  Kingsley  replied 
quietly,  for,  during  the  past  days,  he  had  de- 
veloped a  sound  liking  for  Peggy,  and  he  was 
loath  to  renew  their  former  hostility. 

Peggy,  chin  in  air,  turned  on  her  heel. 

"  Then  you  must  be  a  good  deal  more  easily 
satisfied  than  I  am,"  she  said,  as  she  walked 
away  in  the  direction  of  the  house. 


206  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 


CHAPTEK   SIXTEEN 

HER  brother  followed  her  to  her  room. 
"  Come  in,"   she  said  shortly,  in  an- 
swer to  his  knock. 

As  he  entered,  she  saw  that  his  blue  eyes 
were  full  of  trouble.  Already  a  second  reaction 
had  come,  and  she  met  him  anxiously. 

"  Hal,  what  is  wrong  ?  "  she  asked,  before  he 
had  time  to  speak. 

"  I  am  a  good  deal  disappointed." 

"  In  me  ? " 

."Yes,  Peggy." 

"  Oh,  I  'm  sorry.  I  wanted  you  to  like  it  so 
much.  Did  n't  I  do  any  of  it  well  ?  " 

"  I  don't  mean  the  acting,  Peggy." 

"You  liked  that?" 

"  Yes.  It  was  capital,  and  I  was  proud  of 
my  small  sister." 

Still  in  her  maid's  dress  and  cap,  she  faced 
him  eagerly,  her  eyes  shining  again  in  her 
pleasure  at  his  praise. 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  207 

"  I  am  so  glad.  I  was  acting  right  at  you, 
Hal,  wondering  how  you  liked  it,  and  yet  not 
daring  to  look  at  you  for  a  single  minute." 

"  You  are  a  good  deal  of  an  actress,  Peggy." 

She  had  dropped  down  on  the  side  of  her  bed, 
where  she  sat  looking  up  at  him  in  smiling 
pleasure.  Then  something  in  the  gravity  of  his 
tone  struck  her  ear,  and  she  grew  grave  in  her 
turn. 

"  Then  what  did  n't  you  like,  Hal  ?  " 

"  Your  talk  to  Rex,  just  now." 

She  rose. 

"  Were  you  listening  ?  "  she  asked  sharply. 

"  I  was  coming  to  congratulate  you,  and  I 
could  n't  help  hearing." 

She  dropped  back  on  the  bed  again,  and 
wearily  pushed  her  cap  aside. 

"  Oh  dear,  I  might  have  known  you  would  be 
somewhere  within  range,"  she  lamented.  "  I 
never  yet  tried  to  make  a  good  impression  that 
I  did  n't  go  and  spoil  it  all,  the  very  next 
minute." 

"  Because  your  impression  is  only  skin 
deep  ?  "  he  asked  quietly. 

"  Harry  Arterburn,  how  dare  you  say  such 
things  to  me  ? "  she  demanded,  in  swift  anger. 

"  Because  they  are  true." 


208  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

"But  they  aren't." 

For  a  minute,  he  stood  hesitating,  while  he 
looked  down  at  her  heated,  wrathful  face. 
Then  he  seated  himself  beside  her  on  the  edge 
of  the  bed,  and  rested  his  hand  on  her  shoulder. 
At  first,  she  attempted  to  draw  away  from  him. 
Then  she  sat  still  and  passive. 

"  Peggy  dear,"  he  said ;  "  I  hate  to  be 
always  lecturing  you.  It  must  make  you  think 
me  a  fussy  sort  of  fellow;  but  really  it  is  on 
your  account  that  I  do  it.  When  I  know  that 
I  have  a  young  sister  who  can  be  loyal  and 
kindly  and  generous,  it  hurts  my  feelings  to 
have  other  people  thinking  she  is  cranky  and 
bad-tempered,  just  because  she  loses  her  temper 
now  and  then.  When  you  have  the  other  thing 
in  you,  Peggy,  why  can't  you  show  it  to  more 
people  ?  There  are  only  a  few  of  us  who  know 
the  other  side  of  you.  What  is  the  reason  ?  " 

"  Because  I  'm  nothing  in  the  world  but  a  fire- 
cracker, Hal,  a  horrid  little  fire-cracker  always 
ready  to  go  off,"  she  answered,  in  a  sudden 
wave  of  penitence. 

"  I  know,  dear ;  but  I  wish  you  were  n't. 
You  can  be  such  a  trump,  Peggy,  that  I  want 
you  to  stay  so.  Your  thorns  are  mostly  on  the 
outside;  but  they  are  very  scratchy  ones." 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  209 

Chin  in  hand,  she  sat  eyeing  the  floor. 

"  But  I  don't  scratch  you,  Hal." 

"  Not  often  now,  Peggy.  But  you  do  scratch 
the  others.  Rex  was  all  cut  up,  to-day." 

Peggy  gave  a  hostile  sniff. 

"  Not  he." 

"Why?" 

"  It  takes  a  good  deal  more  than  that  to  cut 
up  Rex  Barrett." 

"  Did  you  see  his  face,  when  you  went 
away  ?  " 

"  Of  course  not,"  she  said  shortly.  "  I  don't 
have  eyes  in  the  back  of  my  head." 

"Well,  I  did.  You  hurt  Rex,  Peggy;  I 
really  don't  see  why  it  hurt  him  so  much.  But 
I  —  we  all  —  had  been  so  delighted  over  the 
fun  you  have  had  out  of  your  rehearsals,  and 
we  hoped  you  were  going  to  be  good  friends  at 
last." 

"  I  don't  see  why  it 's  everybody's  business 
what  we  do,"  Peggy  muttered  restively. 

"  Because  we  all  are  so  very  fond  of  Rex,  and 
because  a  few  of  us  know  that  Peggy  Arterburn 
has  more  good  in  her  than  she  likes  people  to 
find  out.  Now  see  here,  Peggy.  This  summer 
has  taught  me  a  good  many  things,  among  others 
that  I  am  very  fond  and  proud  of  my  small 
14 


210  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

sister.  But  it  has  taught  me  this:  that  my 
small  sister  needs  an  occasional  lecture  on  her 
sins,  and  that  her  old  brother  is  the  best  person 
to  give  it  to  her,  just  because  there  's  nobody 
else  who  cares  half  so  much  for  her.  Now 
here  's  the  lecture.  Peggy,  you  must  not  let 
your  temper  run  away  with  you.  You  must 
not  get  angry  over  trifles,  or  over  nothing  at  all. 
You  must  be  more  patient  and  courteous  with 
the  others.  It 's  not  becoming  to  any  girl  to  go 
about  with  a  chip  everlastingly  balanced  on  her 
shoulder."  Suddenly  he  rose  and  stood  facing 
her.  "That's  all,  Peggy,"  he  said,  with  a 
complete  change  of  tone.  "  Think  it  over,  dear ; 
have  a  little  patience  and  a  little  pluck,  and 
things  will  go  better  with  you  and  with  us  all." 
And  he  left  her  alone. 

An  informal  supper  was  served  to  actors  and 
hosts,  that  night,  on  Mrs.  Farrington's  broad 
veranda.  Peggy  was  the  last  to  appear.  She 
was  still  in  costume;  but  the  paint  on  her 
cheeks  presented  a  curiously  streaked  appear- 
ance, and  one  side  of  her  lower  lip  was  caught 
between  her  teeth.  With  a  nod  to  the  others, 
she  walked  straight  across  to  Kingsley  and  held 
out  her  hand. 

"  I  'm  sorry  I  was  horrid,"  she  said  tersely. 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  211 

The  next  afternoon,  however,  gave  them  both 
cause  to  forget  the  passing  scar  upon  their  new- 
formed  friendship. 

In  one  corner  of  The  Savins  under  the  trio  of 
huge  chestnut  trees  where,  in  her  childhood, 
Mrs.  Farrington  had  been  accustomed  to  look 
for  lurking  Indians,  the  young  people  had  con- 
structed a  species  of  athletic  field.  There  was 
the  tennis  court,  there  was  the  little  green  where 
Kingsley  was  wont  to  console  himself  for  the 
absence  of  any  golf  links,  and  there,  affixed  to 
the  middle  tree,  hung  Peggy's  target. 

Faithful  to  her  resolution  to  ride  on  the 
cow-catcher  of  the  train  which  should  introduce 
the  new  sport,  Peggy  had  worked  patiently  in 
her  own  behalf,  that  summer.  No  one  of  the 
others  had  even  feigned  to  manifest  the  least 
interest  in  her  hobby.  Ursula  scoffed;  Na- 
thalie predicted  gory  victims  of  her  bow,  and 
the  boys  ignored  her  completely.  Accordingly, 
it  was  only  Sophia  Smith  who  could  be  induced 
to  accompany  Peggy  to  her  practice.  Once 
there  and  tied  to  a  tree  out  of  the  way  of  harm 
to  herself  or  to  the  arrows,  the  dog  was  accus- 
tomed to  sit  and  smirk  in  idleness  while  her 
mistress  toiled.  It  was  toil,  too.  Peggy's 
thumb  blistered  and  then  became  callous,  her 


212  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

back  ached  and  her  feet  grew  weary  with  the 
unending  steps  it  took  for  her  to  find  the  arrows 
that  went  wide  of  the  mark.  Nevertheless,  the 
girl  persevered.  Archery  was  a  harder  task 
than  she  had  supposed.  Accordingly,  she  shut 
her  teeth  and  proceeded  to  master  it.  Peggy 
Arterburn  had  no  respect  whatsoever  for  the 
futilities  of  life. 

The  afternoon  after  the  play  found  her  tired 
and  fractious.  Even  the  office  had  dragged,  that 
morning;  lunch  had  been  a  period  of  stupid 
talk,  and,  lunch  over,  she  gathered  up  her  bow 
and  Sophia,  and  started  across  the  hill. 

It  was  still  early,  so  early  that  the  noon  sun 
lay  hot  over  the  grass.  Peggy  fastened  Sophia 
to  her  usual  tree.  Then  she  dropped  down  on 
the  turf  and  fanned  herself  with  her  hat. 

"  Archery  may  be  warm  work,"  she  said 
aloud ;  "  but  it  is  nothing  to  leading  Sophia. 
That  creature  has  the  strength  of  a  Jersey 
cow." 

She  paused  to  look  at  her  hard  brown  hands. 
Then  she  bent  over,  patted  the  dog's  nose  and 
stroked  back  her  bristling  eyebrows. 

"  Sophia,  we  're  a  good  deal  alike,  old  girl ; 
are  n't  we  ?  "  she  added  thoughtfully.  "  We 
both  tug  at  our  leads;  but  the  worst  harm 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  213 

we  do  is  n't  intentional.  Oh  dear,  why  did  n't 
I  tell  Rex  to  come  over  and  play  some  tennis, 
when  it  gets  shady  ?  " 

Sophia  refused  to  answer  the  question,  and 
Peggy,  turning  her  back  on  the  dog,  devoted 
herself  to  stringing  her  bow.  That  done,  she 
picked  up  her  arrows,  paced  off  her  distance 
from  the  target,  and  took  deliberate  aim. 

It  had  been  only  during  the  past  two  or  three 
weeks  that  Peggy's  target  had  suffered,  save  by 
the  onslaughts  of  Sophia  Smith.  The  arrows 
had  gone  over  it  and  under,  to  this  side  and 
to  that,  leaving  the  ringed  expanse  free  from 
spot  or  puncture.  Peggy's  strength  was  great; 
her  weapons  flew  far  and  wide;  but,  even 
now  that  she  occasionally  grazed  the  rim,  the 
bull's-eye  seemed  to  her  as  unattainable  as 
ever. 

"  It  is  a  great  sight  easier  to  hitch  your 
wagon  to  a  star  than  't  is  to  hitch  your  arrows 
into  the  bull's-eye,"  she  muttered  vengefully, 
as  her  first  arrow  apparently  tried  its  best  to 
impale  the  sun  in  the  heavens. 

She  fitted  a  second  arrow  to  her  string,  took 
steady  aim,  and  had  the  mortification  of  feeling 
her  thumb  slip  away  from  the  cord.  The  arrow 
started  straight  towards  the  target,  loitered, 


214  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

sagged,  and  fell  impotently,  not  twenty  feet 
from  Peggy's  toes. 

"  That  would  have  gone,  if  it  only  had,"  she 
commented  to  herself  rather  enigmatically. 
"  Let 's  see  if  I  can't  make  it,  this  time.  The 
third  is  the  lucky  number." 

Again  she  settled  her  arrow  and  took  careful 
aim.  Then,  with  all  the  strength  of  her  sturdy 
muscles,  she  snapped  the  string.  The  arrow 
darted  off  on  a  swift,  strong  flight  slightly  to 
the  left  of  the  target,  crashed  through  a  bush 
and  was  lost  to  sight.  The  next  minute,  Peggy's 
heart  stopped  for  a  beat,  and  then  began  to 
batter  her  ribs  until  she  could  scarcely  breathe. 

"  Rex !  "  she  screamed.  "  Rex !  Kingsley ! 
Are  you  there  ?  " 

Waiting  for  no  answering  call,  she  went 
plunging  away  after  the  arrow.  Over  the  grass, 
past  the  bush  she  flew.  Then  she  stopped  short 
in  terror.  On  the  ground  just  back  of  the  bush 
sat  Kingsley,  his  back  towards  her,  and  a  little 
red  stain  marking  the  back  of  his  head.  At 
her  exclamation,  he  turned  slowly  around,  to 
show  her  a  whimsical  smile  on  a  rather  pale 
face. 

"  Two  inches  lower,  and  you  'd  have  made 
a  finish  of  me,  Peggy  Ann,"  he  said  coolly. 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  215 

"  As  it  is,  you  're  the  second  Arterburn  who 
has  had  designs  on  my  head." 

"  But,  Rex,  have  I  killed  you  ? "  she  de- 
manded tragically. 

"  No ;  we  McAlisters  die  hard,"  he  answered. 
Then  he  dropped  backwards  towards  Peggy 
who  sprang  to  catch  him  in  her  arms. 

Peggy's  emergency  training  consisted  solely 
of  common  sense.  Nevertheless,  it  was  only 
a  moment  before  Kingsley's  gray  eyes  opened 
again.  In  spite  of  his  weakness,  he  smiled,  as 
a  great  tear  splashed  down  on  his  upturned 
face. 

"  Don't  drown  me,  Peggy,"  he  advised  her 
weakly.  "  And  it  hurts  to  wash  out  cuts  with 
salt  water." 

"  Oh,  please,  please  don't  joke,  Rex,"  she 
implored  him  a  little  hysterically. 

He  eyed  her  half  mockingly,  as  he  lay  with 
his  head  in  her  lap. 

"It  wouldn't  be  myself,  if  I  didn't,"  he 
answered,  with  a  whimsical  truthfulness  which 
was  destined  to  come  back  to  her  again  and 
again  in  the  after  years. 

"  But  are  you  terribly  hurt  ?  " 

"  About  as  much  as  I  was  when  Nathalie 
slugged  me  with  her  driver.  I  shall  live 


through  it,  Peggy  Ann.  It  is  plain  I  am  des- 
tined for  the  halter.  It 's  disgustfully  milk- 
soppish  to  faint,  though.  Do  boost  a  little,  and 
see  if  I  can't  sit  up." 

"  No ;  you  'd  better  lie  still  for  a  while,"  she 
urged. 

"  Why  ?     It 's  nothing  but  a  scratch." 

Shutting  her  teeth,  she  took  a  steady  look  at 
the  brown  head  in  her  lap.  From  crown  to 
brow,  it  was  marked  with  a  scarlet  line;  but 
even  Peggy,  unaccustomed  to  such  sights, 
could  make  out  that  the  trouble  was  on  the 
surface. 

"  And  yet,  it 's  awful  to  think  I  did  it,  Rex," 
she  added,  while  a  second  shower  dropped  on 
his  upturned  face.  "  Truly,  I  'm  sorry  to  cry 
all  over  you;  but  just  suppose  I  had  killed 
you!" 

Far  back  in  his  gray  eyes,  there  came  a  ques- 
tioning look  that  slowly  took  form  upon  his 
lips. 

"  Should  you  have  cared  so  very  much, 
Peggy?" 

This  time,  her  head  went  down  into  her 
clasped  hands. 

"  Oh,  Rex,  don't  talk  about  it,"  she  wailed. 
"  It  makes  me  sick  to  think  of  it,  even,  and  it 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  217 

would  have  been  so  terrible,  just  as  we  were  get- 
ting not  to  fight  and  all.  I  believe  it  would  have 
killed  me." 

His  eyes  showed  his  satisfaction,  though  his 
lips  were  laughing,  as  he  answered,  — 

"  Then  we  could  have  been  buried  in  one 
grave,  Peggy  Ann,  in  a  thoroughly  sentimental 
fashion.  But,  as  it  is,  I  think  we  '11  stick  it 
out  long  enough  to  have  a  good  many  more 
fights." 

The  wound  had  stopped  bleeding,  and  the 
color  was  coming  back  into  his  cheeks.  Peggy 
breathed  more  freely,  as  she  watched  him,  for 
she  told  herself  that  the  worst  was  over.  As 
yet,  neither  of  them  had  any  suspicion  of  what 
was  still  in  store  for  Kingsley. 

"  How  did  you  come  to  be  here,  anyway  ?  " 
she  asked  suddenly. 

At  the  question,  the  boy's  face  whitened  a 
little. 

"  Oh,  I  forgot  that  part,"  he  said,  with  some 
reluctance.  "  I  was  over  here,  this  morning, 
and  I  must  have  dropped  to  sleep." 

"  And  did  n't  go  home  to  lunch  ?  " 

"  ETo." 

"  How  queer !  "  Then,  as  she  watched  him, 
she  saw  that  something  was  wrong,  and  her 


213  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

voice  once  more  took  on  its  sharper  accent  of 
fear.  "  What  is  it,  Eex  ?  " 

"  What 's  what  ?  "  He  tried  to  meet  her  eyes 
unconcernedly. 

"  What  is  wrong  ?  " 

"  What  makes  you  think  anything  is  ?  " 

"  I  don't  think ;  I  know  it.  You  may  as  well 
tell  me  what  it  is."  Her  sentences  came,  clear 
and  detached. 

"Why?" 

"  So  that  I  can  help  you  out." 

"  How  do  you  know  you  can  ?  " 

"  WTiat  is  the  use  of  wasting  words  ? "  she 
said  impatiently.  "  You  may  as  well  tell  me, 
Rex,  and  at  least  let  me  do  the  best  I  can." 

He  was  silent  for  a  minute,  evidently  think- 
ing over  her  words.  Then  his  gray  eyes  met 
her  eyes  steadily. 

"  I  'm  not  sure  there  's  any  harm  in  telling 
you,  Peggy.  You  won't  babble  and  make  a 
fuss.  It 's  only  this,  I  whacked  at  a  golf  ball, 
and  missed  it,  and  I  half  twisted  myself  in 
two.  I  'm  afraid  it  has  done  something  that 
it  ought  n't,  and  I  don't  want  the  mater  to  know 
it,  for  fear  she  '11  worry.  She  has  always  been 
fussy  about  me,  since  the  time  I  broke  myself 
before,  you  know." 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  219 

"  And  it  hurt  ?  "  she  asked  sharply. 

"  Hurt !  I  should  say  it  did.  I  managed 
to  pull  myself  over  into  the  shade,  and  then 
I  think  the  pain  must  have  let  up  a  little,  for  I 
fell  asleep.  I  suppose  you  waked  me,  and  I  sat 
up  just  in  time  to  act  as  pincushion  for  your 
arrow." 

"  And  now  ?  "  she  said,  with  a  steadiness  that 
surprised  him. 

"  Now  I  've  got  to  get  home,  and  you  may 
find  yourself  made  useful  in  a  way  you  won't 
like,  Peggy  Ann.  That  house  seems  to  me  a 
day's  journey  away.  Do  you  mind  being  turned 
into  a  walking-stick,  till  we  get  in  sight  of 
somebody  ? " 

For  her  only  answer,  she  turned  and  held 
out  her  two  strong,  brown  hands. 

"  Let  me  pull  you  up,"  she  said,  smiling. 
"  This  is  where  my  training  with  Sophia  is 
bound  to  count." 

Half  way  to  the  house,  he  halted  wearily. 

"  Confound  it !  What  a  bore  this  is !  "  he 
said,  as  he  rested  his  weight  against  a  tree 
trunk.  "  Peggy,  I  '11  break  you  in  two,  I  'm 
such  a  big  fellow." 

"  Not  a  bit,"  she  protested  dauntlessly. 
"  You  're  nothing  to  Sophia.  But  sha'n't  I  call 
somebody  ? " 


220  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

He  shook  his  head. 

"  No.  Promise  you  won't  tell,  Peggy  Ann. 
It  would  just  set  them  to  fussing  for  nothing; 
and  it  won't  last  but  a  day.  I  '11  pretend  head- 
ache, and  lie  off  till  to-morrow ;  by  that  time,  I 
shall  have  untwisted  myself  again.  Mighty 
lucky  you  shot  me ;  else,  I  'd  have  had  to  go 
hunt  for  an  excuse  to  play  ill." 

She  bit  her  lip  sharply.  It  was  a  new  idea 
to  her  that  Kingsley  Barrett  could  be  weak  and 
in  pain;  and  the  idea  hurt  her. 

"  But  you  must  n't  let  it  go.  Do  tell  Mac," 
she  begged  him. 

"  Not  yet,  Peggy  Ann,"  he  answered  pluck- 
ily.  "  I  don't  want  to  make  a  fuss  over 
nothing.  Let 's  wait  to  see  what  the  morrow 
will  bring  forth." 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  221 


CHAPTER    SEVENTEEN 

PEGGY  appeared  in  the  doorway  of  the 
library  at  The  Savins,  the  next  morning. 

"  Mr.  Hubert  ?  " 

"Yes?" 

"  May  I  be  late  at  the  office  ?  " 

He  looked  up  with  a  smile  for  the  tall  girl 
before  him. 

"  Of  course,  Margaret." 

Her  eyes  were  uncommonly  grave. 

"  Thank  you,"  she  said  briefly.  "  I  may  be 
quite  late." 

"  Is  anything  wrong  ?  "  he  asked. 

Peggy  never  fibbed  easily.  Now  there  was 
a  perceptible  hesitation  in  her  manner. 

«  £T— no." 

His  eyes  searched  her  face  in  kindly  scrutiny. 
She  blushed  under  his  gaze. 

"  At  least,  nothing  that  I  can  tell  you,"  she 
amended  honestly. 

"  I  'm  sorry,  Margaret.    I  should  like  to  help 


222  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

you  out  of  your  worries.  If  I  can  be  of  any  use 
to  you,  let  me  know." 

She  took  a  step  nearer  and  stood  looking 
down  at  him,  her  hands  loosely  locked  behind 
her,  her  sharp  face  very  gentle. 

"  There  's  no  one  else  I  would  trust  half  so 
soon,"  she  said  quietly ;  "  but  this  is  n't  my  own 
worry.  I  '11  be  at  the  office,  as  soon  as  I  can  get 
there." 

Without  stopping  for  a  hat,  she  crossed  the 
sunny  lawn  and  went  down  the  street  in  the 
direction  of  the  Barretts'  house.  There  was 
neither  indecision  nor  yet  alertness  in  her  step. 
She  moved  quickly;  yet  her  head  was  bent  in 
swift,  anxious  thought.  Peggy  was  pondering 
the  contents  of  a  note  which  John  had  just 
brought  her  from  Kingsley.  The  note,  read  by 
John,  would  have  been  merely  a  summons  to 
her  to  come  over  to  join  in  some  interrupted 
revel;  but  Peggy  knew  better.  Under  its 
whimsical  fun,  she  read  the  message  of  serious 
trouble. 

She  found  Kingsley  alone  on  the  veranda. 
Stretched  out  at  the  full  of  his  long  length  in  a 
steamer  chair,  novel  in  hand,  he  looked  the  pic- 
ture of  lazy  content;  and  his  voice  rang  out 
from  afar  in  hearty  greeting. 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  223 

"  Hullo,  Peggy  Ann !  I  thought  we  could 
finish  up  that  scheme  over  here.  It 's  quieter 
than  at  The  Savins." 

Peggy's  eyes  narrowed  shrewdly;  but  her 
answering  hail  was  keyed  to  his. 

"  Where  are  Jack  and  Ursula  ?  " 

"  Driving  with  Nathalie.  Did  n't  you  see 
them  start  ? " 

"  No ;  I  must  have  been  in  the  library,"  she 
answered  unconcernedly,  as  she  came  up  the 
steps. 

Kingsley  pushed  a  chair  towards  her  with 
his  foot. 

"  Sit  down.  I  'm  sorry  not  to  rise  and  hand 
you  to  your  seat ;  but  I  'm  saving  up  my  energy, 
to-day." 

"  Things  bad  ?  "  Peggy  queried  tersely,  as 
she  dropped  into  the  chair. 

"  Beastly.  Ached  like  thunder,  all  night. 
The  nap  you  interrupted  was  the  last  I  've  had." 

"  How  is  your  head  ?  "  she  asked  anxiously. 

"  That 's  the  least  of  my  troubles.  Of  course, 
I  brush  my  hair  with  caution;  but  my  head 
appears  to  be  the  toughest  part  of  my  anatomy." 

"  Where  's  the  other  trouble  ?  " 

He  laughed. 

"  Better  ask  where  it  is  n't." 


224  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

"Rex,"  she  protested;  "don't  joke,  and  please 
don't  scare  me  to  death.  What  is  the  matter, 
really  and  truly  ?  " 

"  I  appear  to  have  twisted  myself  into  a 
tight  knot  that  refuses  to  untwist,"  he  replied 
composedly. 

"  Where  ? " 

"  Over  on  our  one  lonesome  golf  link." 

"  No ;  where  on  you  ?  "  she  asked  impatiently. 

"  Oh,  me  ?  Well,  somewhere  between  my 
head  and  my  heels.  To  be  more  accurate,  it 
appears  to  have  taken  up  all  the  slack  of  me 
between  my  shoulder-blades  and  my  knees." 

"What  does  Mac  say?" 

"  Nothing." 

"  Have  n't  you  told  him  ?  "  she  demanded. 

"  No.  Mac  is  an  old  granny.  He  would  pull 
a  long  face  and  scare  the  mater,  and  I  don't 
want  her  to  know." 

"Why  not?" 

Kingsley  clasped  his  hands  at  the  back  of 
his  head. 

"  Because  I  hope  to  make  Keys  next  spring, 
Peggy  Ann." 

"  Of  course,  we  all  expect  that ;  but  what 
has  Keys  to  do  with  your  knot?  Or  are  you 
going  to  wait  for  them  to  unlock  it  ? " 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  225 

Kingsley  raised  his  brows. 

"  Your  mind  is  n't  logical,  Peggy ;  it  takes 
too  long  jumps.  The  trouble  I  fear  is  nearer 
than  that." 

"  What  then  ?  " 

"  That,  if  the  mater  gets  wind  of  this,  she  '11 
shut  down  on  my  going  back  at  all." 

With  a  bounce,  Peggy  sat  up  and  faced 
him. 

"  Kex !     Is  it  as  bad  as  all  that  ?  " 

"  Feels  so.  Anyway,  my  feelings  are  hurt. 
Moreover,  I  do  hate  to  have  a  lot  of  women 
clucking  over  me.  The  mater  has  some  sense; 
but  there  are  too  many  others." 

"  Me  ?  "  she  asked  a  little  sharply. 

"  No."  He  surveyed  her  quizzically.  "  You 
can  generally  be  relied  upon  not  to  gush,  Peggy 
Ann." 

Her  lips  straightened,  and  she  nodded  to  her- 
self. Then  she  said  suddenly,  — 

"  But  that  does  n't  mean  I  don't  care, 
Rex." 

"  Naturally.  I  know  a  thing  or  two.  Else 
I  wouldn't  have  trusted  you  with  the  tale  of 
my  woes." 

She  frowned  thoughtfully. 

"  They  sound  rather  woful,  Rex." 
'5 


226  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

"  You  bet !  Now  the  question  is  what  to  do 
next." 

"Who  knows  it?" 

"  You.  And  I."  Kingsley  spoke  in  two 
detached  sentences. 

"Anybody  else?" 

"  No." 

"  But  they  know  something  is  wrong  ?  " 

"  Nobody  but  the  mater.  I  told  her  I  had 
headache  and  wanted  to  be  let  alone." 

In  spite  of  her  anxiety,  Peggy  laughed 
outright. 

"  And  then  straightway  you  sent  for  me. 
Well,  I  must  say,  Rex,  your  own  mind  is  n't 
always  logical." 

"  She.  did  n't  know  I  sent." 

"  Then  she  probably  is  wondering  why  I 
have  n't  sense  enough  to  go  home." 

"  No.  But  you  see  I  can't  go  on  shamming 
headache,  a  fellow  who  has  neither  nerves  nor 
indigestion.  What 's  to  do  next  ?  " 

"  How  much  does  it  hurt  ?  " 

"Like  the  deuce,  when  I  move.  Not  a  bit, 
if  I  keep  still." 

"  Is  it  better  than  it  was  at  first  ? " 

"  No." 

"  But  it  ought  to  be,"  she  said  slowly. 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  227 

"  It  is  n't,  though.  Maybe  it  has  n't  had 
time.  You  might  send  for  Miss  Eudora  to  give 
it  absent  treatment." 

"  You  'd  much  better  let  Mac  tackle  it  at 
short  range,"  she  advised  him. 

"  I  don't  want  to." 

"  Then  try  your  grandfather." 

Kingsley  shook  his  head. 

"  He  's  worse.  He  would  only  talk  it  over 
with  Mac,  and  two  wagging  heads  are  worse 
than  one." 

Peggy  rested  her  elbows  on  her  knees,  her 
chin  in  her  hands,  and  stared  at  her  companion 
in  silent  meditation. 

"  What  did  you  want  of  me  ? "  she  asked 
abruptly  at  length. 

"  What  I  'm  not  getting,  advice.  Also  a 
little  sympathy,"  he  added,  after  a  short  pause. 

Bending  over,  she  took  his  hand  in  her  strong 
brown  one. 

"  I  honestly  did  n't  dare  give  it  to  you,  Hex. 
I  was  afraid  you  would  think  I  was  gushing, 
or  making  a  fuss.  Besides,  I  'm  too  anxious 
even  to  know  whether  I  'm  sorry  or  not.  I  'm 
so  afraid  you  Ve  done  something  awful  to 
yourself." 

Kingsley  frowned. 


228  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

"  So  am  I,"  he  said,  with  the  first  falling 
cadence  that  had  escaped  him. 

The  next  moment,  he  could  have  hitten  out 
his  tongue  with  regret  for  the  words  and  their 
accent.  Peggy's  eyes  clouded,  grew  misty,  and 
then  her  head  went  down  on  their  two  hands. 
She  pulled  herself  together  quickly,  however; 
but  not  so  quickly  but  that  Kingsley  had  felt 
the  swift  rush  of  tears,  hot  and  large,  that 
dropped  upon  his  fingers. 

"  By  Jove,  Peggy,  I  never  supposed  you  'd 
care,"  he  said  in  surprise. 

"  I  'd  like  to  know  why  not,"  she  said  a  little 
fiercely,  as  she  brushed  her  hair  away  from  her 
face. 

"  Why,  because  —  Oh,  I  don't  know.  But 
I  'm  glad  you  do." 

Forgetting  her  ruffled  hair,  she  faced  him 
steadily. 

"  Rex,  we  've  fought,  all  summer  long ;  and 
you  Ve  teased  me  until  I  have  been  about  half 
wild.  And  yet  —  I  suppose  it 's  the  woman 
of  me  —  and  yet,  after  all,  I  honestly  think 
I  like  you  best  of  all  the  tribe." 

"For  a  fact?" 

"  Yes.     You  don't  deserve  it,  though." 

Her  words  had  the  ring  of  mockery;    but  it 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  229 

pleased  him  to  take  them  in  earnest,  and  the 
earnestness  sat  well  upon  him. 

"  No,  Peggy,  I  don't,"  he  said  humbly. 

There  was  a  short  silence.     Peggy  broke  it. 

"  Rex,  as  I  say,  I  'm  awfully  worried.  You 
ought  to  tell  Mac.  Let  me  go  for  him." 

"  He  '11  tell." 

"  Not  if  we  make  him  promise." 

Kingsley  eyed  her  distrustfully.  He  knew 
Mac  better  than  she  did.  He  knew,  too,  that 
there  might  be  reason  for  Mac's  telling.  Man- 
like, he  shrank  from  the  necessary  coddling 
that  too  often  accompanies  illness.  He  also 
shrank  from  hearing  a  truth  which  might  be 
unwelcome. 

"  It 's  a  good  time,"  Peggy  urged  practically. 
"  Mac  is  at  home  now  and  alone.  Nathalie 
won't  be  back  till  time  for  lunch.  Let  me  get 
Mac  now." 

Shutting  his  teeth  hard,  Kingsley  sat  upright. 

"  No ;   I  '11  go  over  there." 

"  What 's  the  use  ?  " 

"  To  keep  the  mater  from  seeing." 

Peggy  watched  his  whitening  face. 

"  But  you  can't.     You  must  n't." 

With  the  outward  semblance  of  a  smile, 
Kingsley  turned  to  face  her. 


230  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

"  A  fellow  can  generally  do  anything  he 
makes  up  his  mind  he  will  do,  Peggy  Ann." 

"  Don't  try  it,"  she  begged. 

"  ISTo  use  wasting  words ;  I  'm  going.  Now 
see  here,  we  '11  strike  a  bargain.  I  will  talk 
it  over  with  Mac,  on  condition  that,  if  he  says 
it 's  nothing  much,  you  and  he  will  promise 
not  to  tell  another  soul." 

Peggy  rose  and  stood  beside  him. 

"  I  promise,"  she  said  quietly.  "  Now,  if 
we  come  around  by  the  driveway,  nobody  can 
see  us,  and  you  can  lean  on  my  shoulder.  It 's 
too  bad  I  'm  not  any  taller ;  but  this  is  all  there 
is  of  me." 

Kingsley  smiled  down  at  her  grimly. 

"  Sometimes  quantity  counts  for  less  than 
quality,"  he  answered,  as  he  took  her  arm. 

As  Peggy  had  predicted,  they  found  Mac 
alone  at  The  Savins.  Kingsley  made  light  of 
the  whole  situation  until  he  had  sworn  his 
cousin  to  secrecy.  Then,  in  the  fewest  possible 
words,  he  asked  Mac's  opinion. 

"  Sorry  you  did  n't  come  right  over  here,  old 
man,"  Mac  said  cheerily  then.  "  It  probably 
is  n't  much ;  but  I  could  have  given  you  a  more 
comfortable  night.  Peggy,  if  you  '11  go  out  and 
sit  on  the  stairs  for  a  space,  I  '11  take  a  look  at 
the  knotty  place,  as  Rex  calls  it." 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  231 

Mac's  blue  eyes  were  so  impenetrable,  his 
voice  so  cheery  that  Peggy  left  the  room,  firmly 
convinced  that  Kingsley  had  been  frightened 
for  nothing.  Accordingly,  she  went  after  her 
hat,  ready  to  start  for  the  office,  so  soon  as  Mac 
should  have  dismissed  their  fears.  As  she  came 
down  the  stairs  again,  she  could  hear  low  voices 
in  the  library;  but,  happily  oblivious  of  what 
they  were  saying,  she  dropped  down  on  the 
bottom  step  and  fell  to  crooning  contentedly  to 
herself. 

"  A  month  ? "  Kingsley  asked  drearily  at 
length. 

"  Yes,  about  that,  old  man." 

"  But  Yale  opens  in  three  weeks  ? "  he 
questioned. 

Mac  shook  his  head. 

"  Sorry,  Rex ;  but  you  '11  be  lucky  to  get  off 
with  that.  Such  a  strain  is  worse  than  any 
amount  of  broken  bones." 

Kingsley  whistled.  Then  he  drew  in  his 
breath. 

"  You  're  a  jovial  sort  of  prophet,  Mac. 
What  can  I  do,  whilst  ?  " 

Very  gently  Mac's  hand  dropped  from  the 
chair-back  to  his  cousin's  shoulder. 

"  Possess   your   soul   in  patience   and   your 


232  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

body  in  quietness,"  he  said  slowly.  Doctor  as 
he  was,  he  had  dealt  many  a  blow,  but  few  that 
had  hurt  himself  more  keenly  than  this  one. 

"No  golf?" 

"  No  exercise  at  all  for  the  present,  Rex. 
For  a  week  or  so,  you  '11  have  to  keep  still." 

Kingsley  looked  straight  into  his  cousin's 
eyes.  He  saw  something  there  that  sent  the 
color  from  his  brown  cheeks. 

"  Is  it  as  bad  as  that,  Mac  ? " 

"  I  hope  not.  Honestly,  Rex,  I  believe  not. 
If  you  take  care  of  yourself,  I  hope  six  weeks 
will  see  you  in  condition  again;  but  it  isn't 
a  case  that  can  be  played  with.  You  gave  your- 
self a  bad  wrench.  Then  you  lay  down  on  the 
ground  and  fell  asleep,  without  troubling  your- 
self to  cool  off.  The  two  things  didn't  work 
well  together." 

"  And  now  ?  "  Kingsley  asked  steadily. 

"  Now  I  am  going  to  keep  you  rather  flat, 
for  a  month.  I  'm  sorry  to  spoil  your  vacation ; 
but  —  " 

"I  suppose  so,"  Kingsley  replied  rather 
absently. 

The  silence  between  them  lengthened.  Sud- 
denly Mac  raised  his  head. 

"  Here  comes  Nathalie.     Sha'n't  I  send  her 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  233 

in  ? "  he  asked,  with  the  air  of  a  doctor  pre- 
scribing an  infallible  cure  for  the  present  ill. 

But  Kingsley  shook  his  head. 

"  Not  just  now,  Mac,"  he  said  quietly.  "  In- 
stead, —  don't  think  I  Ve  gone  daft,"  he  added, 
with  a  mirthless  little  laugh ;  "  instead,  if  you 
don't  mind,  I  wish  you  'd  go  and  tell  Peggy; 
about  it,  and  ask  her  to  come  in  here,  for  8 
few  minutes." 


234  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 


CHAPTER   EIGHTEEN 

"  TT  THAT   are   you    doing  here   in   office 

V  V  hours,  I  'd  like  to  know,"  Kingsley 
demanded,  the  next  morning. 

"  Playing  truant." 

"  Uncle  Hu  will  be  after  you." 

Deliberately  she  fastened  Sophia  to  a  tree, 
mounted  the  steps  and  sat  down  beside  the 
steamer  chair. 

"  Let  him !  "  she  said  concisely. 

"  And  then  he  '11  dismiss  you." 

She  cocked  her  chin  in  the  air. 

"  He  can't.  I  know  so  much  that  I  'm 
invaluable." 

Kingsley  let  his  novel  slide  to  the  floor,  and 
clasped  his  hands  back  of  his  head. 

"  Conceit,  thy  name  is  —  " 

"  -Peggy>"  sne  responded.  "  I  know  it ;  you 
have  told  me  so  before.  Still,  I  have  a  reason 
for  my  conceit.  Are  n't  you  all  squabbling  for 
me,  I  'd  like  to  know." 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  235 

"  I  had  n't  observed  it." 

"  Well,  I  had,"  she  returned  composedly. 
"  Hal  wants  me ;  Mr.  Hubert  can't  get  along 
without  me,  and  now  I  have  left  them  both 
in  the  lurch,  because  I  knew  you  'd  like  to  have 
me  frolic  with  you." 

"  Not  much  frolicking  for  me  for  the  present, 
Peggy  Ann." 

She  dropped  into  her  favorite  pose,  elbows 
on  knees,  her  chin  in  her  hands. 

"  Maybe  not.  It 's  horrid,  too,  perfectly 
horrid.  Still,  there  is  no  especial  use  in 
your  getting  pensive  about  it,"  she  observed. 
"  Things  might  be  a  lot  worse." 

"  Yes.     They  also  might  be  a  lot  better." 

"  Never  mind  that.  Be  thankful  for  what 
you  've  got,  and  forget  the  rest." 

His  gray  eyes  twinkled  at  her  tone. 

"  Did  Miss  Eudora  teach  you  that,  Peggy 
Ann?" 

"  No ;  I  evolved  it.  It  ?s  common  sense. 
Just  think,  Rex,  you  might  be  a  lone  orphan  in 
a  five-story  tenement." 

"  Yes,  and  I  also  might  be  a  blue  chim- 
panzee in  a  menagerie.  But  I  don't  see  what 
bearing  the  fact  has  upon  the  case." 

"  Teaches  you  to  count  your  mercies.     You 


236  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

have  an  ancestral  home,  next  door,  and  kind  and 
tender  parents." 

"  By  Jove,  yes !  One  kind  and  tender  parent 
is  on  the  verge  of  apoplexy,  this  morning,  be- 
cause he  can't  decide  what  key  he  shall  use  for 
his  new  sonata,"  Kingsley  said,  with  a  laugh. 
"  I  advised  him  to  try  the  whole  bunch,  one 
after  another ;  but  even  that  did  n't  suit  him. 
It  must  be  awful  to  have  an  oversoul,  and  then 
mislay  the  key  to  it." 

"  Where  's  Jack  ?  "  Peggy  asked  abruptly. 

"  Gone  fishing." 

Her  brows  went  upward,  and  Kingsley  has- 
tened to  explain. 

"  Their  plans  were  all  made,  and  I  would  n't 
let  them  stay  at  home." 

"  Hh !  They  need  n't  have  asked  your 
permission." 

"  They  did  n't.  I  dropped  in  my  commands, 
yesterday  noon.  I  'm  all  right,  and  the  mater 
ordered  lunch  served  out  here." 

"  Has  she  gone  ?  " 

Peggy's  tone  showed  her  disapproval  rather 
too  plainly  for  Kingsley's  pleasure. 

"  Yes.  I  told  her  I  would  n't  stay  still,  un- 
less she  went.  She  made  a  great  row;  but  I 
fairly  scared  her  into  going.  Good  for  her," 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  237 

Kingsley  responded,  with  a  serene  unconscious- 
ness of  the  uneasy  hours  Mrs.  Barrett  must 
pass,  away  from  her  prostrate  offspring.  "  I 
promised  her  that,  if  she  would  go,  I  would  n't 
budge,  all  day  long;  and  she  arranged  to  have 
things  brought  to  me.  I  say,  Peggy  Ann,  why 
don't  you  come  back  here  and  eat  lunch  with 
me?" 

"  What  about  your  father  ?  " 

"  He  '11  be  here,  too." 

"I  — I  don't  believe  I'd  better." 

"  What 's  the  reason  ?  I  '11  send  word  over  to 
The  Savins." 

"  I  'm  afraid  of  your  father,"  she  confessed 
desperately. 

Again  Kingsley's  laugh  shook  the  chair. 

"  The  poor  old  pater !    What  has  he  done  ?  " 

"  Not  generally ;  only  when  he  is  writing 
things,"  she  explained. 

"  Oh,  I  begin  to  see.  You  think  he  gets 
nerves,  and  throws  things  ?  That  does  n't  hap- 
pen often.  As  a  rule,  when  he  is  working,  he 
eats  for  ten,  and  forgets  to  talk.  That  may  not 
sound  artistic ;  but  it 's  the  fact.  Come  back 
and  observe  him,"  he  advised  her. 

She  settled  back  in  her  chair. 

"  All  right,"  she  answered  a  little  dubiously. 


238  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

"  But,  if  you  don't  mind  about  my  coming  back, 
I  think  I  might  as  well  stay  now.  I  'm  a  very 
desirable  companion,  too,  for  I  know  seven  kinds 
of  solitaire,  and,  if  you  prefer  to  read  books, 
I  've  brought  some  stockings  to  darn.  If  you 
had  the  least  particle  of  chivalry,  you  'd  offer 
to  read  aloud  to  me,  while  I  do  it." 

Kingsley  surveyed  her  in  languid  approval. 

"  By  Jove,  Peggy,  you  are  a  good  fellow," 
he  remarked. 

That  morning  was  the  first  of  many  which 
differed  from  one  another,  according  to  Kings- 
ley's  firm  belief,  merely  in  the  slight  details 
of  the  weather  and  of  the  consequent  position 
of  the  steamer  chair.  The  strain  had  been  a 
severe  one ;  and,  though  it  was  yielding  to  Mac's 
prompt,  efficient  treatment,  nevertheless  it  would 
suffice  to  keep  Kingsley  on  his  back  for  some 
time.  As  long  as  he  was  quiet,  he  suffered  little 
or  no  pain;  but  the  monotony  of  his  days  and 
the  lack  of  exercise  maddened  him,  and  the 
active  fellow  chafed  under  his  restraint.  For 
the  most  part,  however,  he  took  it  with  stoic 
resignation  or  jovial  optimism;  but,  being 
neither  saint  nor  hero,  it  must  be  confessed  that 
he  had  days  when  his  patience  and  courage  gave 
place  to  absolute  bad  temper.  It  was  impossible 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  239 

for  him  to  read,  all  the  time;  solitaire  he  had 
always  regarded  as  the  sport  with  which  the 
weak-minded  spinster  amuses  herself  during 
the  naps  of  her  pet  cat,  and  his  mother  was 
obliged  to  give  occasional  hours  to  her  husband 
and  her  housekeeping. 

From  the  start,  Kingsley  had  laid  down  one 
law  with  such  emphasis  that  it  had,  perforce, 
been  obeyed.  Because  he  was  temporarily  laid 
low,  Ursula  and  John  should  make  no  change 
in  their  plans;  the  summer  life  and  the  sum- 
mer junketings  should  go  on  without  him. 
The  edict  had  been  followed  by  rebellious  mur- 
murings ;  but  Kingsley  had  had  his  way  in  the 
end.  Day  after  day,  he  waved  farewell  to  the 
merry  quintette  who  drove  away  from  the  door 
of  The  Savins,  never  dreaming  how  large  a 
share  of  their  pleasure  was  lost  with  the  loss  of 
their  jovial  comrade  whose  bidding  they  dared 
not  gainsay. 

Peggy,  meanwhile,  stuck  to  him  with  the  per- 
sistence and  the  scratchiness  of  a  burr.  In  vain 
he  ordered  her  off.  She  refused  to  go;  or, 
going,  she  came  back  again,  half  an  hour  later, 
on  some  fresh  pretext.  Once  there,  she  neither 
coddled  Kingsley  nor  condoled  with  him.  She 
merely  stayed  within  range.  Sometimes  she 


240  NATHALIE'S  SISTER^ 

gossiped  with  him;  sometimes  she  teased  him; 
sometimes  she  graciously  permitted  him  to  read 
to  her;  and  sometimes  she  fought  with  him 
with  a  healthy  and  unsentimental  vigor.  Now 
and  then  he  turned  the  tables,  and  fell  to  teasing 
her  until  her  patience  was  scattered  to  the 
winds  and,  rising,  she  stalked  away  and  left 
him  alone.  By  the  time  she  reappeared,  they 
were  mutually  penitent  and  on  their  good  be- 
havior once  more.  In  so  far  as  Peggy  was  con- 
cerned, Kingsley's  days  were  never  monotonous. 
In  her  society,  he  passed  through  every  mood  of 
content,  annoyance,  liking  and  rage  in  swift 
succession;  but  the  resultant  of  all  the  moods 
was  a  hearty  and  growing  affection  for  his  way- 
ward, but  loyal  comrade. 

Left  to  themselves,  Nathalie  and  Ursula 
laughed  a  little,  now  and  then,  over  Kingsley's 
defection  from  his  old-time  allegiances.  Time 
was  when  Peggy's  society  was  a  thing  to  be 
avoided;  time  was  when  Kingsley  would  have 
been  clamorous  for  their  society.  Now,  while 
he  was  always  glad  to  see  them,  merry  and  cor- 
dial during  their  calls  beside  his  chair,  and 
politely  regretful  over  their  departure,  it  was 
Peggy  for  whom  he  was  really  watching,  Peggy 
to  whom  he  turned  for  comprehension,  Peggy 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  241 

whose  company  he  sought,  when  his  black-lined 
moods  were  upon  him. 

However,  there  was  compensation  in  all 
things,  and  both  girls  were  finding  that  the 
ripening  summer  was  leaving  them  less  and 
less  time  and  thought  for  Kingsley  Barrett. 
To  Ursula,  the  days  were  passing  like  a  dream, 
golden  with  happiness  and  touched  with  the 
rose-color  of  romance.  She  was  still  only  a 
child,  far  too  young  for  any  real  thought  of 
love.  Nevertheless,  her  girlish  ideals  were 
centering  wholly  in  Harry  Arterburn,  her  girl- 
ish hopes  were  vaguely  concerning  themselves 
with  his  future.  For  the  present,  it  was  enough 
for  her  to  know  that  he  never  appeared  more 
content  than  when  she  was  beside  him.  Satis- 
fied with  that  certainty,  she  made  no  effort  to 
forecast  the  future. 

And  Nathalie? 

It  seemed  to  her  now,  as  she  looked  back- 
ward over  her  life,  that  she  had  never  before 
known  what  happiness  meant.  The  past  years 
had  always  been  full  of  good  things  for  her; 
but  they  amounted  to  nothing,  in  comparison 
with  the  absolute  joy  of  the  present.  For 
Nathalie,  it  was  as  she  had  said:  Mac  was 
the  central  point  of  her  ?olar  system.  And 
16 


242  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

Mac's  every  thought  began  and  ended  in  his 
wife. 

Early  September  was  lengthening  the  even- 
ings, and  the  moonlight  lay  over  the  lawn  in 
broad  yellow  splashes,  one  night  when  Nathalie 
gave  voice  to  her  content.  Mac  had  found  her 
alone  on  the  veranda,  when  he  came  back  from 
a  flying  trip  to  New  York.  Bending  over  her 
shoulder,  he  dropped  a  little  leather  box  into 
her  lap. 

"  You  extravagant  boy !  What  is  this  ?  "  she 
asked,  as  the  cover  flew  back  to  show  a  milky 
gleam  from  within. 

"  Three  months,  to-day,"  he  reminded  her. 
"  I  was  afraid  you  might  forget." 

Without  a  word,  she  pulled  him  down  on 
the  arm  of  her  chair,  and,  for  a  moment,  the 
two  golden  heads  touched  each  other. 

"  Mac,"  she  said  contentedly  at  last,  while 
she  nestled  her  head  into  the  crook  of  his  elbow ; 
"  this  has  been  a  wonderful  summer." 

"  Yes,  dearest." 

"  You  Ve  come  back  again,  Mac  ?  "  Peggy's 
voice  inquired  from  the  shadowy  doorway.  "  I 
do  wish  you  would  come  in  and  get  your  dinner. 
You  know  we  promised  to  go  over  and  play 
whist  with  Bex,  to-night." 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  243 

"  Mmm  ?  Yes.  Where  are  Ursula  and 
Jack  ? "  Mac  queried  absently,  with  his  gaze 
still  on  the  yellow  hair  beside  him. 

"  Mac — Alister  Holden !  They  went  home 
on  the  noon  train,  to-day.  You  '11  be  forgetting 
your  name  next." 

"  No  matter,  as  long  as  I  remember  yours, 
Peggy,"  he  retorted  good-humoredly.  "  Run 
in,  there 's  a  dear  soul,  and  tell  Jane  I  am 
here." 

"  All  right.  You  come  in  now,  though." 
And  Peggy  vanished. 

Nathalie  gave  a  little  sigh. 

"  The  summer  is  nearly  over,  Mac." 

"  Are  you  sorry  ?  " 

"  Yes.  I  dread  the  breaking-up.  It  has 
seemed  as  if  each  day  was  better  than  the  one 
before  it  had  been." 

"  But  there  are  better  ones  to  come,  Na- 
thalie." 

"  Perhaps.  Don't  tempt  fate  too  far,  though. 
Besides,  I  don't  believe  anything  could  be 
happier  than  this." 

"  You  've  enjoyed  having  Ursula  here  ?  " 

"  Yes,  and  the  being  with  Aunt  Teddy  and 
Grandpa  McAlister.  But,  after  all,  Mac,  it  has 
all  been  mostly  you." 


244  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

Stooping,  he  took  the  box  from  her  hand  and 
slid  the  great  pearl  on  her  finger. 

"  Nathalie,"  he  said,  and  his  voice  was  full 
of  tender  reverence ;  "  I  know  life  better  than 
you  do,  dear,  and  I  know  that,  if  you  can  say 
that  after  three  months  of  marriage,  I  have 
nothing  left  to  wish  for." 

"  Mac,  I  do  wish  you  would  hurry."  Peggy's 
voice  sounded  plaintive.  "  The  soup  is  freezing 
over,  and  the  beans  won't  be  fit  to  eat." 

Mac  straightened  up  abruptly. 

"  Oh,  hang  the  beans,  Peggy !  I  '11  come,  in 
a  minute." 

"  Well,  you  need  n't  be  so  cross  about  it,"  she 
retorted.  "  You  know  you  don't  like  cold 
things,  and  you  know  Rex  is  waiting." 

"  Let  him  wait,"  Nathalie  advised. 

"  Poor  Rex !  "  Peggy  said  rebukingly.  "  He 
is  out  of  all  the  fun,  and  I  should  think  you 
would  be  sorry  for  him." 

"  So  we  are.  Why  don't  you  run  over  and 
stay  with  him  till  we  come  ?  "  Mac  suggested 
tactfully. 

"  Because,  if  I  did,  you  'd  sit  there  mooning, 
for  an  hour,  and  forget  all  about  us,"  Peggy 
answered,  with  exceeding  bluntness.  "  I  'm 
going  up-stairs  now  to  get  ready.  I  wish 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  245 

you  'd  come  and  change  your  gown,  too, 
Nathalie." 

"What's  the  use?" 

"  Becomingness.  You  are  n't  half  so  careful 
to  choose  becoming  colors,  nowadays.  I  should 
be  ashamed  to  drop  back,  as  soon  as  I  was 
married."  And  Peggy's  determined  step  echoed 
on  the  stairs. 

Nathalie  broke  the  pause  which'  followed  her 
going. 

"  Mac,  do  you  know  —  have  you  thought  — 
that  is,  has  it  occurred  to  you  that  the  sum- 
mer has  meant  a  good  deal  to  someone  besides 
ourselves  ?  " 

He  smiled. 

"  To  Hal  ?  " 

"  Yes.  Do  you  suppose  the  dear  fellow  real- 
izes how  plainly  he  has  shown  it  ?  " 

"  No.  He  and  Ursula  have  been  as  innocent 
as  a  pair  of  babes  in  the  wood." 

"  He  has  looked  like  a  mute  at  a  funeral,  all 
the  afternoon,"  Nathalie  commented  irrever- 
ently. 

"  Was  the  leave-taking  such  an  ordeal  ? " 

"  Yes.  Ursula  had  a  few  tears,  and  Hal 
hung  to  her  hand  a  little  longer  than  the  law 
allows.  I  really  could  n't  see  the  reason  for 


246  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

much  emotion,  as  long  as  he  will  see  her  again 
in  two  weeks." 

"  How  should  you  like  it,  Nathalie  ?  " 

"  Mac !  Mac  Holden,  do  go  in  and  get  your 
dinner."  It  was  an  exasperated  voice  which 
came  floating  down  to  them  from  an  up-stairs 
window. 

"  Yes,  Peggy.  Just  going.  What  do  you 
think  of  it,  Nathalie  ?  " 

"  That  he  is  too  old  for  her,  and  —  " 

"  Am  I  too  old  for  you,  dear  ?  " 

Again  the  yellow  hair  brushed  his  sleeve. 

"Mac!    The  idea!" 

"  But  Hal  is  my  twin." 

"  And  Ursula  is  a  year  younger  than  I," 
she  added  conclusively.  "  Still,  I  love  Ursula 
like  a  sister.  But,  Mac,  if  Hal  should  ever 
marry  Ursula,  what  would  become  of  Peggy  ?  " 

Mac  smiled  thoughtfully  to  himself. 

"  Wait  a  few  years,  and  then  ask  Rex,"  he 
advised  her. 

"  Do  you  really  think  so  ?  " 

"  I  really  hope  so.  They  both  are  splendid 
stuff.  Just  now  they  are  very  good  cronies; 
but  that  so  often  grows  into  something  else." 

Nathalie  drew  a  long  breath. 

"  Then  that  is  one  more  deed  the  summer  has 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  247 

done.  Just  think  how  they  used  to  squabble, 
when  we  first  came  here !  " 

"  It  was  mainly  Peggy's  fault.  She  was  very 
thorny  at  first;  but  she  is  getting  bravely  over 
it." 

"  Poor  Kex !  "  Nathalie  said  suddenly. 

"  Yes.  Still,  he  is  gaining,"  Mac  answered 
gravely.  "  I  was  frightened  at  first ;  but  I 
think  the  worst  is  over,  though  it  is  bad  enough 
now.  He  has  cause  to  remember  the  summer." 

"  How  long  do  you  think  it  will  be  ?  " 

"  I  'm  not  sure ;  but  I  hope  Thanksgiving 
will  see  him  on  his  feet  again.  His  worst  time 
will  come,  after  he  gets  back  to  the  city,  when 
he  can  have  neither  college  nor  society.  He  will 
miss  Peggy,  then." 

"  Aunt  Babe  has  invited  her  to  go  back  with 
them;  but  Hal  thought  it  would  be  better  for 
her  to  be  in  Northford,"  Nathalie  said  thought- 
fully. "  I  '11  do  what  I  can  for  Rex,  and  —  " 

"  Mac,  do  go  in  and  eat !  "  Peggy  ordered, 
as  she  appeared  in  the  doorway  for  a  second 
time.  "  It  is  really  very  cruel  and  selfish  for 
you  two  creatures  to  sit  there  by  yourselves,  and 
keep  us  waiting.  I  am  going  over  to  Rex  now. 
If  you  are  n't  there  in  ten  minutes,  I  shall  send 
Mrs.  Barrett  for  you.  Now  do  go  in!  "  She 


248  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

seized  Mac  by  the  sleeve,  dragged  him  to  the 
doorway  and  pushed  him  over  the  threshold. 
Then,  gathering  up  her  fluffy  white  gown  in 
both  hands,  she  turned  rebukingly  to  her  sister. 
"  Nathalie,"  she  said  with  severity ;  "  I  had 
always  supposed  that,  when  a  person  had  been 
married  for  three  mortal  months,  it  was  time 
for  the  levering  to  be  over." 

But  Nathalie  shook  her  head. 

"  No,  Peggy,"  she  answered  contentedly ;  "  it 
is  only  just  time  for  the  best  of  it  to  begin." 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  249 


YES,  it  has  been  a  perfect  summer," 
Nathalie  sighed  contentedly,  two  days 
later. 

"  For  you.  Mine  has  been  in  the  imperfect 
tense,"  Kingsley  commented. 

"  In  the  sense  of  incomplete  action  ?  You  are 
having  a  horrid  time  of  it,  Rex ;  and,  moreover, 
you  have  spoiled  half  our  fun.  We  simply 
can't  get  on  without  you." 

"  But  you  '11  have  to,  for  one  while  yet,"  he 
predicted  gloomily. 

"  Not  so  long  as  you  think.  Mac  says 
you  will  be  able  to  go  back  to  college,  by 
Thanksgiving." 

"  Yes,  confound  it !  That  will  cut  out  two 
good  months,  and  junior  year  is  the  best  of 
things.  Let 's  talk  about  the  moon,  Nathalie. 
It  turns  my  heart  to  water,  when  I  think  of  all 
I  am  missing."  He  laughed,  as  he  spoke;  but 
his  laugh  was  a  bit  dreary.  Then  he  threw 


250  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

back  his  head  and  took  a  long  breath.  "  I  'm 
losing  all  my  grip,"  he  added.  "  Too  much 
coddling  plays  the  mischief  with  a  man. 
There  's  no  telling  where  I  'd  have  been  by  now, 
if  I  had  n't  had  Peggy  to  slug  me,  now  and 
then." 

"  And  she  goes,  to-morrow,"  Nathalie  said. 

"  Yes,  worse  luck !  You  were  my  fbst  and 
best  friend,  Nathalie;  but  you  forsook  me  for 
Mac,  and  I  Ve  had  to  take  up  with  Peggy. 
Now,  just  as  I  am  finding  Peggy  an  invaluable 
companion,  behold,  she  falls  to  packing  her 
trunk.  I  foresee  that  I  am  doomed  to. a  lonely 
old  age." 

Nathalie's  reply  was  interrupted  by  the  ap- 
pearing of  Peggy  herself.  The  girl  came 
bouncing  into  the  room,  anxious  and  breathless. 

"  Has  anyone  seen  Sophia  Smith  ? "  she 
panted. 

"  No.  Has  she  mislaid  herself  ?  "  Kingsley 
inquired  tranquilly. 

"  I  can't  find  her  anywhere." 

"  Sophia  lost  ?"  In  her  turn,  Nathalie  started 
up. 

"  Not  lost,  Nathalie ;    only  gone  before." 

"  Stop  joking,  Rex.     Have  you  seen  her  ?  " 

"  No.     She  is  n't  given  to  making  formal 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  251 

calls,  and  Mac  said  he  would  rather  I  didn't 
take  her  to  walk  at  present." 

"  And  you  have  n't  seen  her  go  by  ?  " 

"  No,  Peggy  Ann ;  no  white  streak  has 
darkened  my  horizon." 

"  But  when  did  you  see  her  last,  Peggy  ?  " 
Nathalie  asked. 

"  At  dinner  time.  I  took  her  for  a  long  walk, 
this  afternoon,  clear  to  the  shore.  It  was  the 
longest  walk  she  has  had  at  all,  and  she  had  a 
beautiful  time.  I  put  on  her  best  blue  bow, 
and  she  was  too  dear,"  Peggy  explained  inco- 
herently. "  Then  she  ate  a  huge  supper,  fairly 
gobbled  it,  and  that  is  the  last  I  saw  of  her." 

"  Did  n't  you  tie  her  up,  after  it  ?  "  Nathalie 
inquired. 

For  her  only  answer,  Peggy  held  up  an  empty 
collar. 

"  Slipped  it  again  ?  I  thought  she  was  broken 
of  that  trick,"  Kingsley  remarked. 

"  She  was,  till  the  other  day  on  the  street. 
I  stopped  to  talk  to  Mrs.  Andersen,  and  she 
backed  out  of  her  collar  and  went  off  home." 

"  Most  reprehensible  behavior  on  the  part 
of  a  woman  as  old  as  Mrs.  Andersen !  " 

"  No.     Sophia  backed." 

"  Then  Sophia  is  a  genius  worthy  of  her  great 


252  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

.  name,"  he  returned  gravely.  "  I  have  often 
wondered  how  I  could  get  away  from  Mrs.  An- 
dersen ;  but  it  never  would  have  occurred  to  me 
to  back  out  of  my  collar.  Next  time,  I  '11  try 
the  same  tactics,  Peggy  Ann." 

But  Peggy  had  dropped  down  into  a  chair, 
where  she  sat  scowling  forlornly  at  the  floor. 

"  How  can  I  find  her  ?  "  she  lamented. 

"  Let  her  find  herself.  She  is  too  big  to  be 
overlooked,  and  too  homely  to  be  stolen." 

"Rex!" 

Then  he  relented. 

"  Honestly,  Peggy,  I  am  no  end  sorry  for 
you.  I  only  wish  I  could  get  out  and  help  you 
hunt.  But  I  would  n't  worry  too  much.  Sophia 
is  known  from  Don  to  Bathsheba,  and  somebody 
will  be  sure  to  come  lugging  her  home  before 
bedtime." 

She  smiled  across  at  him  gratefully. 

"  You  're  a  good  sort  of  creature,  Rex.  Let 's 
hope  you  '11  be  a  true  prophet,"  she  said,  as  she 
rose.  "If  I  only  knew  where  to  look  for  her ! 
But  she  goes  at  such  a  rate,  when  once  she  gets 
started,  that  there  's  no  telling  what  county  she 
may  be  in  by  now.  It 's  like  looking  for  a 
needle  in  a  haystack." 

"  A  turkey  needle,  then,"  Nathalie  corrected 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  253 

her.  "  But  don't  worry,  Peggy.  She  will  prob- 
ably come  strolling  home  before  long." 

Nathalie's  accent,  sympathetic,  yet  hopeful, 
was  inexpressibly  soothing  to  her  young  sister. 

"  I  'm  so  glad  you  are  n't  cross  at  me,  Na- 
thalie," she  said  slowly.  "  I  was  so  afraid  you 
would  scold  me  for  losing  your  dog." 

"  But  you  were  n't  to  blame,  dear.  Besides, 
Sophia  really  ought  to  belong  to  you,  for  you 
have  taken  all  the  care  of  her,  this  summer." 

"  But  she  does  n't.  Of  course,  I  love  her  like 
one  of  my  own  children,"  Peggy  answered  pen- 
sively, from  between  her  clasped  fingers. 

Over  her  bowed  head,  Nathalie  and  Kingsley 
exchanged  a  glance  of  amusement.  Then  Na- 
thalie turned  to  her  sister  once  more. 

"  Peggy  dear,  I  think  Sophia  will  come  home 
again." 

"  But  maybe  not  till  after  I  have  gone.  I  did 
want  to  kiss  her  good-by,"  Peggy  wailed,  in  a 
sudden  outburst  of  woe  over  the  dog  who,  in 
some  canine  fashion,  had  wormed  her  way  into 
the  very  core  of  Peggy's  heart. 

"  Perhaps  not.  But,  Peggy,  I  'm  going  to 
tell  you  something  else,  even  if  it  does  spoil  our 
surprise.  Mac  and  I  have  talked  the  matter 
over,  and  we  both  feel  that  Sophia  wants  to 


254  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

have  you  for  her  mistress.  We  were  going  to 
wait  till  you  were  in  Northford,  to-morrow 
night.  Then  we  planned  to  send  her  to  you 
by  the  next  day's  express.  As  soon  as  she  comes 
home,  dear,  she  will  be  your  own  dog,  not 
mine." 

"Nathalie!  Rex!  Truly?  Sophia  mine? 
Oh  you  dear  girl !  "  Peggy  cast  herself  on 
Nathalie's  neck  in  a  strangling  embrace.  Then, 
without  another  word,  she  turned  to  the  door. 

"Whither?"  Kingsley  called  after  her. 

"  To  find  my  dog,  my  own  dog,"  she  answered 
over  her  shoulder.  "  And  then,  oh  then,  won't 
we  go  out  in  a  blaze  of  glory  ? " 

And  Sophia,  meanwhile,  was  sleeping  the 
sleep  of  the  just,  behind  the  library  sofa  at  The 
Savins. 

Huge  as  she  was,  nevertheless  Sophia  was  a 
dog  of  but  two  dimensions.  She  possessed  much 
length  and  height.  In  thickness  she  was  to- 
tally lacking.  And  so  it  came  about  that,  when 
one  of  the  maids  left  a  screen  door  slightly  ajar, 
Sophia  squirmed  her  way  into  the  house  and 
went  on  a  tour  of  discovery.  Her  conscience 
and  her  memory  both  assured  her  that  she  had 
no  business  inside  the  house,  and  that  assurance 
led  her  to  avoid  the  dining-room  where  the 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  255 

family  were  at  the  table,  and  to  conduct  her 
explorations  noiselessly  and  upon  the  points  of 
her  toes.  Twice  she  made  the  round  of  the  hall 
and  parlor;  then  she  moved  on  to  the  library 
where,  overcome  by  drowsiness,  she  suddenly 
decided  to  put  herself  to  bed  in  the  kennel-like 
corner  behind  the  leather  sofa. 

The  fatigue  of  her  long  walk,  followed  by  her 
generous  meal,  caused  Sophia  Smith  to  sleep 
soundly.  Once  she  stirred  a  little  and  opened 
one  eye,  when  the  maid  came  in  to  light  the 
lamps.  Then  she  drifted  off  again  into  puppy 
dreamland. 

An  hour  later,  Sophia  wakened  to  find  herself 
still  the  sole  occupant  of  the  room.  Crawling 
out  from  her  improvised  kennel,  she  yawned 
drowsily,  stretched  herself  to  her  fullest  length, 
and  then  sat  down  on  her  haunches  to  meditate 
upon  the  situation.  Peggy  and  Nathalie  were 
still  at  Mrs.  Barrett's,  and  the  others  were  on 
Mrs.  Farrington's  veranda.  For  this  reason, 
Sophia  was  free  to  amuse  herself  according  to 
her  own  pleasure;  and,  with  her  tongue  dang- 
ling limply  from  one  corner  of  her  mouth,  she 
pondered  how  best  to  attain  that  pleasure. 

After  mature  deliberation,  it  seemed  to  her 
that  the  sofa  pillows  presented  the  best  point 


256  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

of  attack,  and  she  attacked  them  accordingly. 
Two  Persian  rugs  were  next  added  to  the  heap 
of  ruins,  and  then  Sophia  pounced  for  the  red 
velvet  cushion  in  Dr.  McAlister's  favorite  wil- 
low chair.  It  proved  to  be  heavier  than  she  had 
anticipated;  and,  her  teeth  still  shut  on  one 
of  its  corners,  she  paused  to  reflect.  That  in- 
stant of  reflection  saved  the  cushion,  but  it 
wrecked  the  room.  Sophia's  thoughtful  eye 
caught  sight  of  a  moth  hovering  about  the  piano 
lamp.  The  next  minute,  she  let  go  the  cushion 
and  made  a  spring  for  her  diminutive  prey. 
She  missed  her  aim;  but  the  room  echoed  with 
the  clash  of  broken  glass,  just  as  Peggy,  white- 
faced  and  full  of  alarm,  appeared  upon  the 
threshold. 

To  the  terrified  girl,  it  seemed  but  a  second 
before  the  floor  was  covered  with  the  blazing 
oil.  It  trickled  here  and  there  in  little  flaming 
streams,  now  finding  a  chair-leg  in  its  pathway, 
now  a  pile  of  books.  Out  in  the  hall,  Sophia 
stood  looking  back  over  her  shoulder  at  the  ruin 
she  had  wrought.  On  the  opposite  side  of  the 
room,  three  long  windows  with  full  white  cur- 
tains offered  a  tempting  connection  between 
floor  and  ceiling. 

Peggy  felt  an  overpowering  desire  to  sit  down 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  257 

on  the  hall  floor  and  cry.  Instead,  she  shut  her 
teeth  hard  and  with  one  hand  fell  to  tearing 
off  her  fluffy  muslin  skirt,  while  with  the  other 
she  pressed  the  button  of  the  front  door  bell. 
It  was  her  only  means  of  calling  help.  She 
dared  not  leave  the  fire  for  a  moment ;  she  could 
only  trust  that  the  long,  broken  clamor  would 
bring  the  maids  to  the  rescue.  The  last  pin  gave 
way,  and  her  thin  skirt  dropped  to  the  floor. 
Using  all  the  strength  at  her  command,  she 
bundled  Sophia  out  of  the  house  and  into  safety. 
Then,  gathering  up  her  remaining  skirts,  she 
bounded  across  the  floor,  dragged  a  table  to  the 
side  of  the  room  and  fell  to  pulling  down  the 
long  lace  curtains,  just  as  the  frightened  maids 
appeared  upon  the  scene. 

"  By  Jove,  Peggy,  you  've  got  grit !  "  Kings- 
ley  said  admiringly,  that  night. 

It  was  long  past  midnight  and,  for  the  mo- 
ment, the  two  were  left  alone.  Peggy,  defiant 
of  her  burns,  defiant,  too,  of  the  general  ten- 
dency to  make  a  heroine  of  her,  had  been  pacing 
the  floor  nervously,  while  they  all  talked  at 
once. 

By  some  miracle,  the  fire  had  been  confined 
entirely  to  the  library.  Hubert  McAlister  had 
rushed  over,  in  answer  to  the  shriek  of  the 
17 


258  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

maids;  and  the  fire  extinguishers  in  the  hall 
had  done  the  rest.  Four  black  walls,  some  hun- 
dreds of  charred  books  and  a  dozen  ruined 
chairs  marked  the  extent  of  the  damage. 

"  And  yet,"  Dr.  McAlister  said,  with  an  odd 
little  quaver  in  his  voice ;  "  if  this  good  child 
had  n't  kept  her  head,  The  Savins  would  have 
been  nothing  but  a  pile  of  ashes." 

As  he  spoke,  he  bent  over  the  chair  where  the 
girl  was  sitting.  She  received  his  caress  as  if 
it  had  been  a  benediction. 

But  now  they  had  all  gone  home,  and  Peggy 
was  escorted  to  the  Barretts'  where  Mrs.  Barrett 
decreed  quiet  and  a  soothing  drink  for  both 
Peggy  and  Kingsley  who  was  in  a  state  of  col- 
lapse after  the  excitement  of  the  evening.  She 
departed  to  concoct  her  draught,  and  Peggy  and 
Kingsley  were  left  alone. 

She  laughed  a  little,  in  answer  to  his  words. 

"  But  you  have  saved  the  house,"  Kingsley 
urged.  "  Everybody,  Grandpa  and  Uncle  Hu 
and  Uncle  Billy,  all  say  nothing  could  have  kept 
the  fire  down,  once  it  had  caught  those  cur- 
tains." He  hesitated;  then  he  added  slowly, 
"  Peggy  A1111?  does  it  ever  occur  to  you  that  we 
McAlisters  owe  you  a  good  deal  for  this  sum- 
mer ?  And  my  debt  is  the  greatest  of  all." 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  259 

She  halted  beside  him  and  stood  looking  down 
into  his  clear  gray  eyes. 

"  Our  debts  would  about  balance  each  other, 
Rex,"  she  answered  gently.  Then  her  voice 
took  on  the  old,  mocking  ring,  as  she  added, 
"  It  is  long  past  midnight,  so  this  is  my  last 
day  here.  Did  n't  I  tell  you  I  'd  go  out  in  a 
blaze  of  glory  ?  " 

The  sleeping  draught  proved  to  be  a  potent 
one,  and  Peggy  who,  girl-fashion,  had  named 
the  corners  of  the  strange  room,  fell  asleep,  as 
her  head  touched  the  pillow,  only  to  dream,  not 
of  the  burning  oil,  but  of  a  pair  of  dark  gray 
eyes,  merry,  tender  and  altogether  winning. 


260  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 


CHAPTER   TWENTY 

NORTHFORD  was  blazing  with  scarlet 
and  gold.  The  patches  of  pine  on 
the  mountain  sides  only  served  to  heighten  the 
flaming  tints  of  maple  and  hickory,  and  the 
sunlight  lay  dazzling  over  all.  Peggy,  with 
Sophia  at  her  heels,  came  in  from  an  early- 
morning  walk,  and  halted  on  the  threshold  to 
look  back  over  the  glory  she  was  leaving  be- 
hind her.  A  strident  voice  hailed  her  from 
within. 

"  Land  alive,  Peggy !  What  sent  you  out  so 
early  ? " 

"  I  wanted  a  walk." 

"  Well,  you  got  it,  to  judge  from  the  looks 
of  that  dog.  She  's  completely  tuckered." 

"  She  stopped  to  chase  squirrels,"  Peggy 
explained  briefly,  as  Sophia  turned  and  trotted 
away  towards  the  back  door,  where  experience 
had  taught  her  to  look  for  her  very  own  tin 
plate. 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  261 

The  small  boy  seated  at  the  table  suspended 
his  operations  on  the  oatmeal,  and  twisted  him- 
self about  in  his  chair. 

"  Did  she  get  'em  ?  "  he  inquired  eagerly. 

"  Oh,  Fizzums,  you  here  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  'm  here.  It 's  brexfast  time,  an' 
I  'm  hungry,"  he  responded  thickly,  for  his 
mouth  was  once  more  filled  to  its  utmost  limit. 
"  Why  did  n't  you  an'  Sophia  Smith  be  to  brex- 
fast, Peggy?" 

"  Because  we  wanted  some  fresh  air,"  she 
answered,  while  she  seated  herself  opposite  her 
little  brother. 

"  You  look  as  if  you  'd  had  it.  Your  cheeks 
are  the  color  of  a  porter  apple." 

Again  Fizzums  detached  himself  from  his 
oatmeal. 

"  I  think  they  look  most  like  a  purple  cab- 
bage," he  announced  unflatteringly.  "  Cousin 
Vedora,  Peggy  wants  some  mush." 

"  Oh,  Fizzums,  don't  call  it  that  horrid 
name,"  Peggy  protested. 

"  Why  not  ?  It  is  mush,  all  mushy.  See !  " 
He  proved  his  statement  by  means  of  certain 
evolutions  with  his  spoon.  It  was  conclusive, 
rather  than  appetizing,  and  Peggy  turned  her 
eyes  towards  the  frill  of  curl  papers  which  sur- 


262  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

mounted  the  parchment-hued  brow  of  her 
elderly  cousin. 

"  It  was  lovely  on  the  hill,  this  morning, 
Cousin  Eudora." 

"  But  there  was  such  a  heavy  dew  that  I 
should  have  thought  't  would  be  sopping  wet," 
Miss  Eudora  responded  prosaically. 

"  No ;  not  so  very.  We  went  down  the  lane 
to  Blowmedowne,  and  back  by  the  path  through 
the  upper  pasture." 

"  Did  you  go  to  the  Pool  ?  "  Fizzums  asked 
with  interest  for,  since  the  summer  day  when 
he  had  been  under  suspicion  of  being  drowned 
there,  the  Pool  had  beenyforbidden  ground  to 
him. 

"  No ;  we  only  went  as  far  as  the  pine  grove." 

"  What  you  got  on  your  church  dress  for  ?  " 
Miss  Eudora  interrupted. 

Peggy  glanced  down  at  the  blue  cloth  gown 
she  was  wearing. 

"  Because  I  wanted  to,"  she  said  calmly. 

Miss  Eudora  clattered  the  spoon  with  which 
she  was  filling  Fizzums' s  empty  saucer. 

"  But  it 's  your  best  dress,"  she  reiterated. 

"  Well." 

"  And  it 's  altogether  too  good  for  every 
day,"  she  pursued. 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  263 

Peggy  looked  up,  half  amused,  half  angry. 

"  It  is  n't  every  day,"  she  answered ;  "  it 's 
my  sixteenth  birthday." 

Miss  Eudora  deliberately  went  on  with  her 
breakfast,  and  there  was  a  perceptible  pause. 
Then  she  said  indifferently,  — 

"Oh,  is  it?     I'd  forgotten." 

For  an  instant,  the  girl  bit  her  lip  sharply, 
and  the  tears  glittered  in  her  eyes,  as  she  re- 
called the  merry-making  which  had  celebrated 
Ursula's  birthday,  three  days  after  her  arrival 
at  The  Savins,  that  very  summer.  The  drops 
still  hung  heavy  on  her  lashes,  when  Fizzums 
pushed  back  his  chair,  trudged  around  the  table 
and  clambered  up  into  his  sister's  lap. 

"  Ven  I  must  give  you  sixteen  kisses,"  he 
announced  a  little  grudgingly.  "  It  will  take 
a  good  while  to  do  such  a  whole  lot,  so  maybe 
I  'd  better  begin  now." 

And  Peggy's  arms  shut  upon  her  small 
brother,  with  a  grateful  sense  of  having  at  least 
one  person  who  cared  to  mark  the  day. 

Peggy  was  undeniably  homesick,  that  fall. 
Heretofore,  she  had  accepted  Northford  and 
Cousin  Eudora  as  necessary  parts  of  her  life, 
no  more  to  be  questioned  than  the  succession  of 
snow  and  rain.-  Her -one  year  in  Xew  York  had 


264  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

faded  from  active  memory ;  and  she  had  lacked 
any  basis  for  comparison.  Now,  after  her 
summer  at  The  Savins  and  in  the  pleasant 
family  life  of  the  McAlisters,  her  surroundings 
at  Northford  had  seemed  to  her  as  succulent  as 
the  raw  salt  codfish  which  formed  the  founda- 
tion of  many  of  Miss  Eudora's  meals.  She 
mourned  for  Hubert  McAlister;  she  pined  for 
her  brother,  and  most  of  all  she  longed  for 
Kingsley,  for  the  grip  of  his  strong  hand  and 
the  ring  of  his  hearty  voice. 

From  the  breakfast  table,  she  betook  herself 
in  search  of  Sophia,  and  together  they  vanished 
from  sight.  When  they  reappeared,  Peggy's 
cheeks  were  scarlet,  her  lids  swollen.  She  had 
told  Sophia  all  her  woes,  and  she  was  convinced 
that  Sophia  had  understood.  Accordingly,  she 
felt  herself  somewhat  consoled. 

School  dragged  perceptibly,  that  Friday 
morning ;  but  at  length  it  was  over,  and  Peggy 
dashed  away  to  the  post  office,  whence  she 
emerged  with  her  hands  full  of  letters  and  pack- 
ages. Neither  New  York  nor  The  Savins  had 
forgotten  the  day,  and  Peggy's  noon  inter- 
mission was  blissful  enough  to  atone  for  her 
birthday  dinner  which  showed  no  sign  of  being 
prepared  for  a  festal  occasion. 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  265 

The  afternoon  mail  left  an  empty  box,  and 
Peggy  sauntered  homeward,  fully  convinced 
that  her  birthday  pleasures  were  all  in  the  past. 
Her  step  lacked  its  usual  alertness,  and  her  head 
was  drooping,  as  she  turned  in  at  the  gate. 
The  next  instant,  she  sprang  up  the  steps  and 
cast  herself  upon  the  tall  man  who  sat  there, 
with  Sophia  Smith  stretched  across  his  feet. 

"Oh,  Hal!" 

Bending  over  the  dog,  he  had  caught  no 
glimpse  of  her  coming;  and  he  fairly  quailed 
at  her  onslaught,  as  he  received  her  in  his 
arms. 

"  Peggy  dear,  many  happy  returns !  Why, 
what 's  the  matter,  dear  ?  "  For  she  clung  to 
him,  sobbing  and  laughing  in  the  same  breath. 

"  Oh,  Hal,  you  dear  thing !  "  she  exclaimed 
incoherently.  "  I  was  so  lonesome !  And 
Cousin  Eudora  forgot  't  was  my  birthday ! 
And  we  had  fried  salt  pork  for  dinner!  And 
now  you  've  come !  " 

"  Glad  to  see  me,  Peggy  ?  " 

Her  face  burrowed  into  his  sleeve. 
"  Glad  ?    It 's  heavenly.    Where  did  you  come 
from?" 

"  New  York." 

"  Yes ;   but  what  brought  you  ?  " 


266  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

"  Your  birthday,"  he  answered  quietly. 

Raising  her  head,  she  stared  straight  into 
his  blue  eyes. 

"  Harry  Arterburn,  truthfully  and  honestly 
did  you  come  all  this  journey  up  here,  just 
because  I-  happened  to  have  a  birthday  ?  " 

"  I  did." 

Her  head  went  down  again,  and  her  voice 
broke. 

"  Oh,  Hal !  "  she  said  for  the  third  time ; 
but  her  accent  was  enough. 

"  Now  tell  me  everything,"  she  said,  a  little 
later,  when  she  and  her  brother  were  settled 
together  on  the  smallest  possible  surface  of  the 
veranda  seat.  "  How  long  can  you  stay  ?  " 

"  Till  Monday  night." 

She  drew  a  deep  breath  of  content. 

"  Three  whole  days !     And  how  is  Rex  ?  " 

"  Better.  He  is  beginning  to  get  out  again 
now;  and  Mac  wants  him  to  go  up  to  The 
Savins  for  November." 

"What  for?" 

"  He  will  be  quieter  there.  He  has  set  his 
heart  on  going  back  to  college,  just  after  Thanks- 
giving; and  Mac  is  working  hard  to  get  him 
ready." 

Peggy's  keen  eyes  grew  soft. 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  267 

"  Poor  old  Rex !  What  a  hard  time  he  has 
had !  Did  he  ever  tell  you  how  I  shot  him  ?  " 

"  No.    What  was  that  ?    He  never  told." 

"  Just  like  Rex ! "  Peggy  commented.  "  Well, 
it  was  this  way."  She  told  the  tale  of  the  epi- 
sode, and  then  added,  "  I  was  a  bad  guest  for 
The  Savins,  Hal.  I  shot  Rex,  and  my  dog 
nearly  burned  up  the  house." 

He  smiled. 

"  But  they  say  you  saved  it,  Peggy ;  and  Rex 
declares  that,  without  you,  he  'd  have  yielded 
up  the  ghost,  last  summer.  Nathalie  is  still 
laughing  about  the  way  she  hung  around  in  the 
background,  whenever  you  were  in  sight." 

Peggy's  brown  cheeks  dimpled  and  grew  rosy. 

"  Dear  old  Rex !  "  she  said,  with  a  girlish 
frankness  of  affection  which  delighted  her 
brother's  heart.  "  We  used  to  squabble,  the 
whole  time ;  but  now  I  can't  see  how  I  ever  was 
able  to  get  on  without  him  for  a  friend.  You 
and  he  and  Mr.  Hubert,  Hal,  have  just  about 
made  over  my  whole  life." 

His  hand  patted  the  shoulder  on  which  it  had 
been  resting. 

"  Something  has  made  over  my  young  sister," 
he  responded.  "  Peggy,  I  wanted  to  spend  this 
birthday  with  you,  for  it 's  the  beginning  of 


268  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

things  for  us,  dear.  I  've  never  really  known 
you  till  now ;  and  now  I  find  that  I  'm  a  good 
deal  pleased  with  my  little  sister." 

"  I  only  hope  you  '11  be  more  so,  some 
day,  Hal,"  she  answered,  with  sudden  grave 
humility. 

"  Did  you  know  that  Mr.  Hubert  is  n't  at  all 
well  ?  "  he  asked,  after  a  pause. 

She  started  up  in  alarm. 

"  Harry !     Anything  serious  ?  " 

"  No.  He  is  over-tired,  and  has  a  bit  of 
malaria.  Mrs.  Barrett  told  me.  He  has  been 
working,  hard  over  this  Thomas  case.  Now,  as 
soon  as  it  is  over,  he  is  going  to  run  across  to 
London  for  a  few  weeks." 

"  How  long  has  he  been  ill  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  It  is  n't  enough  really  to  call  ill.  Mrs. 
Barrett  only  chanced  to  speak  of  it,  last  Sunday 
night,  while  she  was  talking  of  Ilex's  going 
there,  next  month." 

Peggy  drew  a  long  breath. 

"  When  pesky  people  are  ill,  I  don't  worry," 
she  observed.  "  Mr.  Hubert  is  so  utterly  sanc- 
tified that  he  is  almost  too  good  to  be  true. 
When  such  men  as  that  get  ill,  I  am  afraid  of 
what  may  happen  to  them." 

"  Superstitious,  Peggy  ?  " 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  269 

She  laughed  a  little. 

"  Yes,  mortally.  Come  and  hunt  four-leaf 
clovers,  Hal.  It 's  lovely  in  the  sunshine,  and 
they  will  serve  for  an  omen  for  us  all." 

They  were  still  straying  about  the  sunny 
orchard,  picking  an  occasional  clover  and 
munching  the  bright  red  apples,  when  Miss 
Eudora's  head  appeared  above  the  wall. 

"  Peggy !  "  she  called. 

"  Yes." 

"  Here  's  a  telegram  for  you.  I  paid  fifteen 
cents  delivery  charges  on  it,  too." 

She  tossed  the  yellow  envelope  over  the  wall, 
and  Peggy  pounced  upon  it  eagerly. 

"  More  congratulations  ? "  she  exclaimed 
gleefully.  "  I  know  it 's  from  Rex.  He  knew 
you  were  coming  up  here,  and  he  timed  it  so 
it  would  find  us  together." 

She  tore  it  open.  Then  her  face  blanched, 
and  she  held  it  out  to  her  brother. 

"  Read  it,  Hal.  Read  it  aloud,"  she  urged. 
"  I  can't  seem  to  understand." 

He  took  the  slip  from  her  shaking  fingers, 
and  passed  his  arm  around  her  as  he  read  it. 

"  Margaret  Arierburn, 

"  Hubert  has  typhoid.  Come  at  once.  Office 
needs  you.  "John  McAlister." 


270  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

"  But  people  don't  always  die  of  typhoid, 
Peggy,"  he  reasoned  at  length. 
But  she  only  persisted,  — 
"  He  will,  I  know ;  he  's  so  good." 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  271 


CHAPTER    TWENTY-ONE 

"1VJEVERTHELESS,  in  spite  of  his  good- 
1.  ^1  ness,  Hubert  McAlister  did  not  die,  nor 
did  he  come  near  dying. 

The  next  night  brought  Peggy  and  Harry 
Arterburn  to  The  Savins,  where  Mrs.  Farring- 
ton,  heavy-eyed  but  smiling,  met  them  with  good 
tidings  from  the  invalid.  Mac  had  come  up, 
the  night  before,  bringing  the  best  nurse  to  be 
found  in  New  York,  and  already  the  fever  was 
under  control. 

"  He  has  been  asking  for  you,  Peggy,"  she 
added,  as  she  took  the  girl's  cold  hand  into  her 
firm  clasp.  "  From  the  first  hour  that  he  gave 
out  and  went  to  bed,  he  began  to  speak  of  your 
being  sent  for.  Yesterday,  my  father  decided 
that  it  was  the  best  thing  for  us  to  do.  I  '11  tell 
him  you  have  come." 

She  returned,  in  a  moment,  and  beckoned  to 
Peggy  to  follow  her. 

"  Just  stop  a  minute,  and  then  slip  away 
again,"  she  warned  her.  "  If  he  tries  to  talk, 


272  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

tell  him  you  must  have  your  supper  now,  and 
that  you  will  discuss  business  with  him  in  the 
morning." 

Peggy  nodded  in  comprehension.  Then  she 
walked  into  the  invalid's  room  with  a  noiseless 
ease  which  won  the  instant  liking  of  the  nurse. 
The  liking  was  increased  by  the  girl's  quiet, 
bright  voice,  and  by  the  simple  way  in  which 
she  made  her  escape  from  Hubert's  detaining 
hand.  Out  in  the  hall,  however,  her  quiet  van- 
ished. She  sank  down  on  the  broad  old  sofa, 
and  looked  up  at  Mrs.  Farrington  through  her 
tears. 

"  Oh,  I  never  supposed  it  would  be  so  bad 
as  that,"  she  wailed  in  a  whisper. 

"  He  is  better,  dear.  Mac  says  so,"  Mrs. 
Farrington  said  consolingly,  as  she  sat  down 
at  Peggy's  side  and  put  her  arm  around  the 
girl's  shoulders. 

"  But  he  's  so  white  and  sick,  not  a  bit  as  he 
generally  is.  I  never  saw  anybody  like  that 
before,  Mrs.  Farrington." 

"  We  hope  that  he  won't  be  like  that  long, 
Peggy." 

The  girl  clinched  her  hands  with  sudden 
energy. 

"  I  should  die,  if  he  were.    Mrs.  Farrington, 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  273 

your  brother  is  the  best  man  I  ever  saw,  the  best 
without  being  a  bit  of  a  prig.  Not  even  Hal 
is  quite  like  him;  he  sees  through  things  so 
quickly,  and  he  is  always  so  just  and  so  true." 

Mrs.  Farrington's  smile  was  very  gentle. 

"  Peggy  dear,  you  are  just  finding  out  some- 
thing that  I  learned,  years  ago.  Hu  and  I  are 
twins,  you  know,  and  I  was  always  with  him, 
always  took  him  as  a  matter  of  course.  Then, 
all  at  once,  I  discovered  that  he  was  n't  at  all 
a  matter  of  course.  My  girl  friends  had 
brothers  who  were  n't  at  all  like  him.  Peggy, 
in  all  my  whole  lifetime,  Hubert  has  never 
given  me  a  sorry  minute.  I  was  always  happy 
with  him,  always  proud  of  him." 

With  a  sudden  motion,  Peggy  slid  to  the  floor 
and  rested  her  clasped  arms  in  Mrs.  Farring- 
ton's lap. 

"  May  I,  just  this  only  once,  call  you  Aunt 
Teddy  ?  "  she  asked  abruptly. 

"  Always,  dear." 

"  No ;  it 's  only  for  this  once.  If  you  are  n't 
too  busy,  I  want  to  tell  you  a  little  bit  about 
things,"  the  girl  said  slowly.  "  I  sha'n't  say 
it  easily,  or  very  well ;  I  'm  a  dumb  thing,  and 
a  cross-grained.  But  this  summer  has  been  so 
different,  you  all  have  been  so  good  to  me.  Aunt 
18 


274  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

Ted,  —  if  you  're  going  to  let  me  call  you  that 
—  it 's  the  first  time  I  Ve  known  what  it  was 
to  have  people  care  about  me." 

"  Why,  Peggy  dear  —  " 

"Wait,"  Peggy  interrupted.  "That  isn't 
all.  Of  course,  Hal  and  Nathalie  did;  they 
were  related  to  me,  and  they  could  n't  help  it. 
But  I  only  spent  a  year  with  them,  and  they 
did  n't  really  know  me.  And,  the  rest  of  the 
time,  I  did  n't  belong  anywhere.  People  were 
good  to  me;  but  I  won't  cuddle,  and  I  don't 
see  much  sense  in  kissing,  so  they  all  thought 
I  did  n't  care  about  them.  I  used  to  wish,  wish, 
wish  that  somebody  would  come  along  and  love 
me  in  spite  of  my  crankiness,  love  me  a  great, 
great  deal,  enough  to  give  me  the  benefit  of  the 
doubt  and  think  maybe  I  was  n't  as  hateful  as 
I  seemed." 

Her  voice  broke  into  a  little  sob.  Bending 
down,  Mrs.  Farrington  drew  the  brown  head 
over  into  her  lap. 

"  Peggy  dear,  I  suspected  something  of  the 
sort,"  she  said  gently. 

"  I  knew  you  did ; .  you  showed  it,  Aunt  Ted. 
That 's  the  reason  I  'm  telling  you  all  about  it 
now.  I  was  so  homesick  when  I  first  came  here, 
so  forlorn.  Then,  all  of  a  sudden,  you  and  Mr. 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  275 

Hubert  began  treating  me  as  if  I  were  n't  so 
hopeless,  after  all.  Of  course,  Hal  was  dear 
as  could  be ;  but  he  was  related  to  me,  and  felt 
responsible  for  me."  She  hesitated;  then  she 
lifted  her  head  and  faced  her  companion.  "  I 
don't  know  as  you  know  it,  Aunt  Ted;  but  it 
did  make  a  difference." 

"  The  difference  showed,  Peggy." 

"  I  'm  glad,  even  if  it  was  n't  much.  But 
you  three,  you  and  Mr.  Hubert  and  Hal,  all 
treated  me  as  if  in  time  I  might  amount  to 
something,  and  it.  made  me  determined  that 
I  would  n't  disappoint  you.  I  don't  know  yet 
what  it  will  be,  Aunt  Teddy;  but  I  am  bound 
it  shall  be  something  worth  while.  And,  if  the 
day  ever  does  come  that  you  're  proud  of  me, 
remember  that  you  were  the  ones  who  gave  me 
my  first  start." 

"  Billy,"  Mrs.  Farrington  said  to  her  hus- 
band, that  night ;  "  there  are  some  things  that 
count  for  more  than  writing  books." 

"  I  found  that  out,  a  good  many  years  ago," 
he  answered  contentedly,  as  he  looked  up  at  the 
stately  woman  by  his  side.  Then  he  added, 
"  Ted,  your  eyes  have  just  the  look  they  used 
to  have,  when  I  was  a  mere  bundle  of  achings, 
and  you  used  to  make  me  forget  all  about  them." 


276  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

"  Those  were  good  old  days,  Billy ;  but  the 
present  is  better." 

"  And  the  future  shall  be  better  still,"  he 
predicted,  with  a  truthfulness  which  as  yet  he 
could  not  realize. 

From  the  breakfast  table,  the  next  morning, 
Peggy  was  called  directly  to  Mr.  McAlister's 
room.  She  found  him  propped  up  against  his 
pillows  and,  in  the  clearer  light  of  day,  he 
looked  far  more  like  himself  than  he  had  done 
on  the  previous  evening.  He  held  out  his  hand 
to  her  in  eager  greeting. 

"  At  last,  my  clerk !  I  was  afraid  you 
would  n't  come." 

"  Of  course  I  should  come,  if  you  wanted 
me." 

"  Good  girl !  Now,  Margaret,  sit  down  here 
and  let  me  talk  to  you.  Mac  has  told  me  I  can 
have  fifteen  minutes;  but  that  isn't  long,  so 
we  must  be  about  it." 

"  Are  you  sure  it  won't  tire  you  ?  "  she  asked, 
as  she  seated  herself  beside  the  bed. 

"  I  can't  help  it,  if  it  does,"  he  answered 
quickly.  "  Margaret/  the  Thomas  case  comes 
up  for  trial,  this  week." 

"  Yes,  I  know,"  she  assented  quietly. 

"  And  I  can't  be  there." 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  277 

"  No,"  she  assented  again. 

"  It  is  very  important.  You  know  how  I 
have  worked  on  the  case;  it  is  too  bad  to  lose 
it  now." 

"  Perhaps  Mac  can  pull  you  up,  in  time  for 
you  to  be  there,"  she  suggested  consolingly,  for 
as  yet  she  had  no  idea  whither  his  hopes  were 
tending. 

He  shook  his  head. 

"  No ;   that  is  out  of  the  question." 

A  sudden  light  dawned  in  Peggy's  eyes. 

"  Could —  Might —  At  least,  why  couldn't 
I  be  of  some  use  ?  " 

He  met  question  with  question. 

"  Margaret,  do  you  remember  the  day  in  the 
park  when  I  told  you  that  you  knew  more  of 
the  case  than  anyone  but  myself  ? " 

She  took  his  hand  into  her  cool,  firm  one,  and 
spoke  slowly. 

"  Mr.  Hubert,  I  said  then  that,  if  you  should 
ever  need  me,  I  would  be  on  hand.  Here  I  am." 

His  eyes  rested  long  on  her  smooth  brown 
head,  on  her  eager,  loving  young  face. 

"  Thank  you,  Margaret." 

There  was  a  little  pause.     Then  he  said,  — 

"  Tell  me  over,  as  shortly  as  you  can,  what 
you  remember  of  the  case." 


278  NATHALIE'S  SISTER. 

The  heightening  color  in  his  cheeks  made  her 
uneasy;  but  the  uneasiness  only  acted  as  a 
stimulus.  Again  she  followed  the  case  from  end 
to  end,  clearly,  tersely,  accurately. 

"  That  is  right.  Could  you  tell  that  again 
in  court  ?  " 

She  bit  her  lip. 

"  If  it  would  help  you,  I  would  try  my  best," 
she  answered,  with  a  quiet  she  was  far  from 
feeling. 

"  It  may  be  best.  It  is  probably  the  only 
thing  that  can  save  the  case  for  me.  I  am  sorry 
to  ask  this  of  you,  Peggy ;  but  Mac  will  be  with 
you,  and  perhaps  my  father.  Will  it  be  very 
hard  for  you  ?  " 

Again  she  laid  her  hand  on  his. 

"  Mr.  Hubert,  nothing  in  this  world  would 
be  too  hard  for  me  to  do  for  somebody  that  has 
been  as  good  to  me  as  you  have." 

"  Why,  Peggy  child,  what  have  I  done  ? "  he 
asked  in  surprise. 

Her  smile  was  enigmatical,  as  she  rose. 

"  Given  me  the  benefit  of  the  doubt,"  she 
answered,  as  the  nurse  and  Mac  came  back  into 
the  room. 

"But,  truly,  I  didn't  mind  it,  Hal,"  she 
protested. 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  279 

It  was  the  next  Saturday  evening,  a  week 
after  their  arrival  at  The  Savins  in  response  to 
Dr.  McAlister's  telegram.  All  the  Wednesday 
before,  the  Thomas  case  had  dragged  out  from 
hour  to  hour,  while  the  chain  of  evidence  had 
swung  this  way  and  that.  Early  on  Thursday 
morning,  Peggy,  a  little  pale  and  very  deter- 
mined, had  been  put  upon  the  stand  by  the 
lawyer  who,  during  Hubert's  illness,  had  been 
handling  the  case  in  court.  She  had  answered 
the  questions  clearly  and  briefly ;  once  or  twice, 
she  had  had  obvious  difficulty  in  keeping  her 
temper ;  once  she  had  replied  with  a  crisp  phrase 
which  had  sent  a  ripple  of  laughter  sweeping 
over  the  room  and  caused  the  ear-tips  of  the 
prosecuting  attorney  to  grow  rosy  red.  Then 
she  had  been  dismissed,  and  there  had  followed 
the  perfunctory  examination  of  a  few  other  wit- 
nesses. However,  when  the  jury  left  the  room, 
it  was  tacitly  understood  that  Peggy  Arterburn's 
testimony  had  carried  the  day,  that  her  identi- 
fication of  the  man  she  had  trapped  in  the  safe, 
taken  quite  by  itself,  would  have  had  sufficient 
weight  to  imperil  the  cause  of  the  opposing  side. 

Two  days  later,  Harry  Arterburn  came  back 
to  The  Savins  in  order  to  escort  his  young  sister 
to  Northford.  To  his  surprise,  no  one  of  the 


280  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

McAlister  clan  would  listen  to  the  suggestion 
of  her  going. 

"  Really,  Harry,  it  is  an  impossible  idea,  for 
we  can't  spare  the  child,"  Mrs.  Farrington  said 
to  him,  the  night  he  arrived.  "  Hubert  needs 
her  help.  He  says  she  is  worth  a  dozen  ordi- 
nary clerks,  and  he  wants  her  to  stay  here  for 
the  present.  Besides,  Rex  is  coming,  next  week, 
and  she  will  be  good  company  for  him.  We  all 
hope  you  can  let  her  stay." 

Harry  had  protested,  then  given  his  consent, 
and  Peggy  had  gone  to  bed,  too  happy  to  sleep. 
Life  for  her  was  singularly  full  of  happiness 
just  then,  so  full,  indeed,  that  it  left  her  neither 
time  nor  thought  to  pay  much  heed  to  the 
congratulations  that  fell  upon  her  ears.  More- 
over, to  Peggy's  healthy  mind,  there  was  noth- 
ing so  very  remarkable  about  remembering  a 
long  story  and  telling  it  over  in  public.  Self- 
consciousness  was  among  the  least  of  Peggy 
Arterburn's  vices. 

"No,"  she  reiterated;  "I  didn't  mind  it 
a  bit.  Those  queer,  pompous  lawyers  were 
great  fun,  only  I  did  want  to  talk  back  to  them 
now  and  then.  But,  Hal  ?  " 

"Yes?" 

"  Is  it  really  true  that  I  helped  Mr.  Hubert 
save  his  case  ?  " 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  281 

"  I  suppose  it  is." 

She  drew  a  long  breath  of  sheer  content. 

"  Then,  after  all,  it  must  have  been  worth 
while,  nay  being  born." 

Harry  laughed. 

"  Have  you  had  serious  doubts  about  it, 
Peggy?" 

"  Sometimes."  Then,  of  a  sudden,  she  turned 
to  him  impulsively.  "  Perhaps,  Hal,  the  day 
may  come  when  I  can  do  something  of  the  sort 
for  you." 

His  answering  voice  was  very  gentle. 

"  It  came  a  good  while  ago,  Peggy ;  and  it 
has  come  again  and  again.  I  could  n't  get  on 
very  well  now  without  my  dear  old  Peggy." 


282  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 


CHAPTER   TWENTY-TWO 

THE  SAVINS,  lying  in  the  sunshine,  was 
enveloped  in  a  mist  of  savory  odors. 
It  was  Thanksgiving  morning,  and  the  house 
was  filled  as  never  before.  In  the  parlor,  Mrs. 
McAlister  was  whisking  away  a  couple  of  im- 
provised beds;  on  the  veranda,  Kingsley  and 
his  two  brothers  basked  in  the  sun,  exchanging 
stories  of  Yale  and  California  ranch  life ;  and, 
in  the  library,  Dr.  McAlister  was  calling  the 
roll  of  his  four  children. 

"  Hope,  Teddy  and  Hu,  and  Babe,"  he  said 
contentedly. 

"  Adsumus"  Hubert  answered. 

"  Yes,  here  with  me,  all  happy,  all  successful, 
all  strong.  The  old  man  has  a  great  deal  to  be 
thankful  for." 

"  If  only  Allyn  and  Cis  were  here !  "  Mrs. 
Farrington  said,  with  a  regretful  thought  for 
her  younger  brother. 

"  Paris  is  too  far  away.    Still,  I  think  they 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  283 

will  cable.  Allyn  never  forgets  things,"  Mrs. 
Holden  added. 

"  What  a  record  he  has  made !  "  Mrs.  Barrett 
said  reflectively.  "  Who  ever  supposed  that 
Allyn  would  be  a  famous  inventor,  and  add 
laurels  to  the  family  name  ?  I  wish  my  Lyn 
would  take  after  him." 

"  Don't  be  in  a  hurry,  Babe,"  her  father 
advised  her,  with  a  smile.  "'Paul  and  Lyn  are 
making  a  success  of  their  ranching,  and  wild 
oats  seem  to  be  the  one  crop  that  they  don't 
raise." 

Mrs.  Holden  shook  her  head. 

"  Your  grandsons  appear  to  have  escaped  that 
danger,"  she  said  serenely.  "  It  is  four  years 
since  I  had  seen  Harold,  and  an  engineer's  life 
is  full  of  dangers.  And  yet,  when  he  came,  last 
night,  I  found  I  could  look  just  as  far  down 
into  his  eyes  as  I  do  into  Mac's." 

"  You  can  say  no  better  word  than  that, 
Hope,"  Mrs.  Farrington  added.  "  All  the  boys 
are  turning  out  well ;  but  my  one  girl  is  a  match 
for  them  all." 

"  You  need  n't  put  on  airs  because  you  are 
the  only  grandmother  of  the  lot,  Teddy,"  Mrs. 
Barrett  rebuked  her,  laughing,  for  it  was  an 
open  secret  in  the  family  that  Mrs.  Farrington 


284  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

regarded  the  world  as  centering  in  the  tawny- 
haired  baby  whom  the  Ainslees  had  brought 
with  them  to  the  family  festival. 

"  I  don't.  Still,  it  is  a  comfort  not  to  have 
to  adopt  children  from  outside  the  family," 
Mrs.  Farrington  returned. 

Mrs.  Barrett  laughed  again. 

"  Don't  be  too  sure  it  is  a  comfort.  Ask  Hope 
what  she  thinks  of  my  choice.  And  I  have  an 
idea  that,  before  ten  years  are  over,  Rex  may 
follow  the  example  of  Mac,  and  adopt  an  Arter- 
burn  on  his  own  account.  As  for  Jack  and 
Ursula,  when  they  were  here,  all  summer  long, 
it  did  seem  too  bad  not  to  ask  them  up  here  for 
the  day.  It  makes  somebody  for  Rex  and  Peggy 
to  play  with." 

Her  father  patted  the  strong,  slim  hand  that 
lay  on  the  arm  of  his  chair. 

"  You  're  all  right,  Babe.  The  Savins  is 
large  enough  to  hold  us  all,  and  these  children 
have  contrived  to  tangle  themselves  up  into  our 
lives.  Where  are  they  now  ?  " 

From  outside  on  the  lawn,  a  sudden  babel  of 
laughing  and  chatter  answered  his  question. 

"  Whence  and  whither  ?  "  Kingsley  called,  as 
the  gay  group  drew  near  the  veranda. 

"  We  've  walked  four  miles  in  search  of  an 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  285 

appetite,  and  now  we  are  going  lip-stairs  to 
beautify  ourselves,"  Peggy  answered,  as  she 
detached  herself  from  the  others  and,  with 
Sophia  at  her  heels,  came  to  sit  on  the  step  at 
Kingsley's  side. 

He  surveyed  her  bright  face  and  wind-tossed 
hair  with  obvious  approval. 

"  I  doubt  if  you  can  improve  on  nature." 

She  smiled  blissfully. 

"  Wait  till  you  see  my  new  clothes  that 
your  mother  brought  me,"  she  advised  him. 
"  They  're  all  green,  and  they  have  a  silk  lining 
that  swishes,  and  you  never  will  know  me,  when 
I  get  them  on." 

"  Peggy,"  he  admonished  her ;  "  are  you  a 
thing  of  vanity,  after  all  ?  " 

"  Certainly.     Don't  I  look  it  ?  " 

"  Not  a  bit." 

"  Thank  you,"  she  said,  with  sudden  iciness. 

He  looked  clown  at  her  in  laughing  rebuke. 

"  Wait,"  he  added ;  "  I  had  n't  finished.  I 
was  only  going  to  say  that  you  always  look  as  if 
you  had  on  the  only  thing  that  it  was  proper 
or  possible  for  you  to  wear." 

She  blushed  with  frank  pleasure. 

"  Rex,  that  is  the  first  real  compliment  I 
have  ever  had  in  my  life.  I  think  I  like  it,  too." 


286  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

"  Make  the  most  of  it,  then,  for  you  may 
never  have  another,"  he  warned  her.  "  Where 
did  you  go  ?  " 

"  Over  Skeleton  Hill,  as  Mr.  Hubert  calls  it." 

He  laughed  at  the  name. 

"  Where  mother  had  her  adventure  ?  " 

"  Yes,  and  where  Sophia  capsized  us.  That 
hill  marks  the  beginning  of  all  my  good  times." 

"  Only  half,"  he  objected.  "  I  did  n't  come 
into  that  party." 

"  Nor  into  this,  to-day.  I  had  a  horrid  time 
without  you,  Rex." 

"  Wait  till  Christmas,  and  I  '11  walk  up  an 
appetite  with  you.  But  where  was  Hal  ?  " 

She  made  a  little  grimace  of  disgust. 

"  Ask  Ursula.  And  they  did  n't  keep  up, 
either.  Sophia  and  I  spent  half  our  time  sitting 
on  rocks  and  waiting.  Mac  and  Nathalie  were 
about  as  bad,  and  Jack  hates  Sophia,  so  he  stuck 
to  them."  She  rose  to  her  feet;  but  she  halted 
and  stood  smiling  down  at  him.  "  But  who 
ever  would  have  thought,  Rex  Barrett,  that  I 
could  reach  the  point  of  mourning  over  your 
absence  ?  "  she  added  saucily.  Then  she  van- 
ished inside  the  house. 

All  day  long,  the  groups  shifted  and  changed. 
All  day  long,  Dr.  McAlister's  snow-white  head 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  287 

was  in  the  midst  of  the  festivities.  The  late 
afternoon  was  given  up  to  games  which  ended 
in  a  reel.  Dr.  McAlister  led  the  reel,  hand 
in  hand  with  Peggy  who  chanced  to  be  the 
youngest  woman  present,  while  Gifford  Barrett, 
seated  at  the  piano,  pounded  out  a  rag-time 
melody  with  infinite  zest.  Mrs.  Farrington  was 
the  mistress  of  ceremonies,  that  day,  and  she 
had  ordained  that  all  the  old-time  customs  of 
their  childhood  should  be  followed  to  the  letter. 

The  reel  ended  in  a  general  romp,  the  lilt  of 
the  rag-time  died  away,  and  there  came  a  breath- 
less pause.  The  next  moment,  there  was  a  yelp 
of  welcome  from  Sophia  Smith,  the  rolling  of 
wheels  on  the  drive,  a  clatter  on  the  steps  and 
the  whirr  of  the  bell,  followed  instantly  by  the 
slam  of  the  heavy  front  door.  Before  anyone 
could  stir,  the  parlor  door  flew  open,  and  a  tall 
man  and  a  beaming  woman  appeared  upon  the 
threshold,  demanding,  — 

"  Are  we  in  time  for  dinner  ?  " 

Mrs.  Farrington  was  at  the  farther  side  of 
the  room.  She  crossed  it  with  a  rush,  and  cast 
herself  into  the  arms  of  her  brother. 

"Allyn!" 

"  Teddy,  dear  old  girl !  Yes,  Billy,  Cicely  is 
here."  And,  one  arm  still  about  his  sister,  he 


288  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

stretched  out  his  other  hand  and  drew  his  wife- 
forward. 

"  But  we  thought  you  were  in  Paris,"  Mrs. 
Barrett  said,  while  Mrs.  Farrington  made  way 
for  her  father. 

"  So  we  were." 

"  Then  what  brought  you  here  ?  " 

"  Homesickness,  and  the  North-German- 
Lloyd  people.  Your  letter,  Ted,  telling  that 
Hope  and  Archie  were  coming,  was  too  much 
for  us.  I  wired  for  passage,  that  night,  and  we 
left  Paris,  the  next  morning.  It  has  been  a  race 
to  get  here.  We  had  headwinds  and  did  n't 
land  till  eleven,  to-day.  I  am  afraid  the  cabby 
who  took  us  across  the  city  will  be  on  a  spree  for 
a  week.  Still,  we  were  bound  we  'd  make  it, 
and  we  have."  And  Allyn  filled  his  lungs  with 
a  deep  breath  of  content.  "  How  long  is  it, 
papa,  since  Cis  and  I  have  been  here  on  a  high 
day  like  this  ?  " 

It  was  good  to  hear  the  stalwart,  bronzed  man 
address  Dr.  McAlister  by  the  old  title;  it  was 
good  to  see  the  famous  inventor  give  place  to  the 
boy  as,  brushing  Hubert  to  one  side,  he  led  his 
mother  to  the  table  and  appropriated  the  chair 
next  to  her  own. 

As  a  matter  of  necessity,  the  dining-room  had 


NATHALIE'S  SISTER  289 

been  abandoned,  that  night.  The  long  table, 
with  its  twenty-three  guests,  stretched  through 
the  library  and  back  parlor,  while  Sophia,  stroll- 
ing at  will  about  the  rooms,  seriously  impeded 
the  course  of  the  serving. 

For  three  long  hours,  the  talk  ran  on,  merry 
and  earnest,  mocking  and  tender,  now  fore- 
casting future  work  and  plans,  now  going  over 
the  record  of  the  years  since  they  had  met,  and 
ever  and  anon  turning  reminiscent,  as  Mrs. 
Farrington  and  her  twin  brother  led  them  back- 
ward to  the  days  when  the  old  house  was  still 
young. 

Unnoticed  by  them  all,  the  tall  clock  in  the 
library  struck  and  struck  again.  The  candles 
were  burning  low,  and  the  busy  murmur  grew 
still ;  but  yet  they  lingered,  loath  to  end  the  day. 
Then,  when  the  silence  had  quite  fallen,  slowly 
Dr.  McAlister  rose  and  stood  before  them,  glass 
in  hand.  White-haired  and  full  of  years,  yet 
still  erect  and  vigorous,  his  eyes  moved  up  and 
down  over  the  group.  They  were  all  there: 
wife,  children,  grandchildren,  and  the  tawny- 
haired  great-granddaughter  asleep  up-stairs, 
together  with  the  four  young  people  whose 
happy  summer  had  been  spent  with  them  there. 
They  all  were  facing  him,  all  looking  up  to  him 
19 


290  NATHALIE'S  SISTER 

with  the  love  which  his  life  had  compelled.  He 
lifted  his  glass.  The  next  instant,  Kingsley 
bowed  and  rose  to  his  feet,  and  the  others  fol- 
lowed his  leading. 

There  was  an  almost  imperceptible  pause; 
then  Dr.  McAlister  proposed  the  toast,  time- 
honored  and  dear  to  them  all  in  its  simplicity, — 

"To  all  we  love!" 

The  murmur  of  assent  passed  about  the  table 
and  died  away  into  silence.  At  length,  Dr. 
McAlister  smiled  back  at  the  waiting  faces. 

"My  dear  children,"  he' said  slowly;  "  it  is 
time  for  us  to  say  good  night.  And  may  God 
bless  you !  " 


THE  END  OF  THE  McALISTER  RECORDS 


HELEN     LEAH     REED'S 
"BRENDA"     BOOKS 


The  author  is  one  of  the  best  equipped  of  our  writers  for  girls  of  larger  growth. 
Her  stories  are  strong,  intelligent,  and  wholesome.  —  The  Oittlook,  New  York. 
Miss  Reed's  girls  have  all  the  impulses  and  likes  of  real  girls  as  their  characters 
are  developing,  and  her  record  of  t'.ieir  thoughts  and  actions  reads  like  a  chapter 
snatched  from  the  page  of  life.  —  Bosron  Herald. 


BRENDA,  HER  SCHOOL  AND  HER  CLUB 

Illustrated  by  Jessie  Wilcox  Smith.     I2tno.     $1.50. 

One  of  the  most  natural  books  for  girls.  It  is  a  careful  study  of  schoolgirl  life  in 
a  large  city,  somewhat  unique  in  its  way.  —  Minneapolis  Journal. 

BRENDA'S   SUMMER   AT   ROCKLEY 

Illustrated  by  Jessie  Wilcox  Smith.     I2mo.     $1.50. 

It  is  a  wholesome  book,  telling  of  a  merry  and  healthy  vacation.  — Dial,  Chicago. 

BRENDA'S  COUSIN  AT  RADCLIFFE 

Illustrated  by  Alice  Barber  Stephens.     i2mo.     $1.50. 
No  better  college  story  has  been  written.  —  Providence  News. 

BRENDA'S   BARGAIN 

Illustrated  by  Ellen  Bernard  Thompson.     I2mo.     $1.50. 

The  story  deals  with  social  settlement  work,  under  conditions  with  which  the 
author  is  familiar.  —  The  Bookman,  New  York. 

AMY   IN   ACADIA 

Illustrated  by  Katherine  Pyle.     I2mo.     $1.50. 

A  splend-d  tale  for  girls,  carefully  written,  interesting  and  full  of  information  con- 
cerning the  romantic  region  made  famous  by  the  vicissitudes  of  Evangeline.  — 
Toronto  Globe. 

BRENDA'S  WARD 

Illustrated  by  Frank  T.  Merrill.     I2mo.    $1.50. 

The  story  details  the  experience  of  a  Chicago  girl  at  school  in  Boston,  and  very 
absorbing  those  experiences  are  —  full  of  action  and  diversity.  —  Chicago  Post. 


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ANNA     CHAPIN     RAY'S 

"TEDDY"   STORIES 


Miss  Ray's  work  draws  instant  comparison  with  the  best  of  Miss  Alcott's :  first, 
because  she  has  the  same  genuine  sympathy  with  boy  and  girl  life  ;  secondly, 
because  she  creates  real  characters,  individual  and  natural,  like  the  young  people 
one  knows,  actually  working  out  the  same  kind  of  problems ;  and,  finally,  because 
her  style  of  writing  is  equally  unaffected  and  straightforward. — Christian  Register, 
Boston. 

TEDDY  :    HER    BOOK.      A  Story  of  Sweet  Sixteen 

Illustrated  by  Vesper  L.  George.     I2mo.     $1.50. 

This  bewitching  story  of  "Sweet  Sixteen,"  with  its  earnestness,  impetuosity, 
merry  pranks,  and  unconscious  love  for  her  hero,  has  the  same  spring-like  charm. — 
Kate  Sanborn. 

PHEBE:   HER  PROFESSION.     A  Sequel  to  "Teddy: 

Her  Book" 
Illustrated  by  Frank  T.  Merrill.     i2mo.     $1.50. 

This  is  one  of  the  few  books  written  for  young  people  in  which  there  is  to  be 
found  the  same  vigor  and  grace  that  one  demands  in  a  good  story  for  older  people. 
—  Worcester  Spy. 

TEDDY:    HER  DAUGHTER 

A  Sequel  to  "Teddy:  Her  Book,"  and  "Phebe:  Her  Profession" 

Illustrated  by  J.  B.  Graff.     i2mo.     $1.50. 

It  is  a  human  story,  all  the  characters  breathing  life  and  activity. — Buffalo  Times. 

NATHALIE'S   CHUM 

Illustrated  by  Ellen  Bernard  Thompson.     I2mo.     $1.50. 

Nathalie  is  the  sort  of  a  young  girl  whom  other  girls  like  to  read  about. — Hartford 

Courant. 

URSULA'S  FRESHMAN.  A  Sequel  to  "Nathalie's  Chum" 

Illustrated  by  Harriet  Roosevelt  Richards.     I2mo.     $1.50. 
The  best  of  a  series  already  the  best  of  its  kind.  —  Boston  Herald. 

NATHALIE'S  SISTER.     ^U""1  *°    Ursula>s  Fresh" 

Illustrated  by  Alice  Barber  Stephens.     I2mo.     $1.50. 

Peggy,  the  heroine,  is  a  most  original  little  lady  who  says  and  does  all  sorts  of 
interesting  things.  She  has  pluck  and  spirit,  and  a  temper,  but  she  is  very  lovable, 
and  girls  will  find  h<:r  delightful  to  read  about. — Louisville  Evening  Post. 

LITTLE,  BROWN,  fc?  COMPANY,  Publishers 
254  WASHINGTON  ST.,  BOSTON,  MASSACHUSETTS 


THE       'TEDDY1'     STORIES 

As  a  writer  of  pleasant,  wholesome,  entertaining  books  for 
girls  and  boys,  the  press  is  unanimous  in  the  opinion  that 
Miss  Ray  has  achieved  a  decided  success  in  "Teddy:  Her 
Book,"  and  "Phebe:  Her  Profession,"  "Teddy:  Her 
Daughter,"  and  her  later  "Teddy"  stories. 

The  New  York  Tribune  says  :  "  In  '  Phebe:  Her  Profession,'  we  are 
reintroduced  to  the  lively  and  sometimes  eccentric  McAlister  family. 
It  is  a  sparkling  story,  showing  in  its  author  a  quick  sense  of  humor 
and  much  shrewd  observation  of  human  nature." 

The  Pilgrim  Teacher  pronounces  "Phebe:  Her  Profession,"  "one 
of  the  very  best  young  people's  books  of  this  or  any  other  year,"  and 
says,  "  We  have  never  seen  a  book  in  which,  without  the  least  tinge 
of  cheap  sentimentality,  the  great  influence  of  a  bright,  healthy  girl  over 
her  boy  friends  was  so  well  set  forth." 

The  Neiv  York  Commercial  Advertiser  says  :  "  In  '  Teddy :  Her  Book,* 
Anna  Chapin  Ray  has  appealed  to  that  eternal  youth  which  dwells 
somewhere  in  the  heart  of  each  one  of  us." 

The  Boston  Herald  says  :  "  If  there  were  more  girls  in  real  life  like  the 
heroine  of  '  Teddy :  Her  Book/  the  world  would  be  a  different  place. 
She  is  as  full  of  fun  as  she  can  be,  sympathetic,  gentle,  and  jolly,  a 
perfect  romp,  yet  thoroughly  womanly  and  loyal." 

The  Detroit  Free  Press  terms  it  "  a  bright  and  spirited  story  for  boys 
and  girls  ;  "  and  The  Denver  Times  says,  "  The  story  is  charmingly 
told,  thoroughly  wholesome." 

Kate  Sanborn  writes  that  "  '  Teddy:  Her  Book  '  is  as  good  as  '  Little 
Women,'  and  what  can  be  higher  praise  ?  This  bewitching  story  of 
<  Sweet  Sixteen,'  with  its  earnestness,  impetuosity,  merry  pranks,  and 
unconscious  love  for  her  hero,  has  the  same  spring-like  charm." 

"A  charming  and  life-like  story,"  is  the  opinion  of  The  St.  Paul  Pioneer 
Press.  "  .  .  .  The  youthful  types  presented  are  very  natural  and 
vigorous,  the  action  energetic,  and  the  sentiment  entirely  wholesome." 


LITTLE,  BROWN,  &P  COMPANY 
254  WASHINGTON  ST.,  BOSTON 


New  Illustrated  Editions  of 
Miss  Alcott's  Famous  Stories 


LITTLE  MEN  :  Life  at  Plumfield  with  Jo's  Boys 

With  15  full-page  illustrations  by  Reginald  B.  Birch. 

"  Little  Men  "  has  never  been  given  to  an  admiring  public  in  any  form  so  charming  as 
this  one.  All  that  was  needed  to  make  the  tale  quite  irresistible  was  such  illustrations  as 
are  here  supplied,  fifteen  full-page  ones  instinct  with  life  and  movement  and  charm.  — • 
Boston  Budget* 

LITTLE  WOMEN  :  or  Meg,  Jo,  Beth,  and  Amy 

With  15  full-page  illustrations  by  Alice  Barber  Stephens. 

"  Books  may  come  and  books  may  go,  but  '  Little  Women'  still  remains  the  ide;;l  book  for 

1° 


AN  OLD-FASHIONED  GIRL 

With  12  full-page  pictures  by  Jessie  Willcox  Smith. 

No  better  portraits  of  Polly  and  Tom  could  be  imagined  than  those  which  appear  in  these 
pages.  .  .  .  No  book  of  its  lamented  author  has  more  endearing  qualities. — Boston 
Saturday  Evening  Gazette. 

JO'S  BOYS,  and  How  They  Turned  Out 

A  Sequel  to  "  Little  Men."  With  10  full-page  plates  by  Ellen  Wetherald 

Ahrens. 

"  The  young  folks  who  have  been  charmed  with  Miss  Alcott's  previous  stories,"  says  the 

San  Francisco  Chronicle^  "will  read  'Jo's  Boys'  with  avidity."     The  illustrations  are 

in  keeping  with  the  spirit  of  the  author. 

EIGHT  COUSINS ;  or,  the  Aunt-Hill 

With  8  full-page  pictures  by  Harriet  Roosevelt  Richards. 

The  little  heroine  and  her  seven  cousins  are  real  children.  —  Providence  Journal. 

ROSE  IN  BLOOM 

A  Sequel  to  "Eight  Cousins."  With  8  full-page  pictures  by  Harriet 
Roosevelt  Richards. 

The  best  from  its  author's  pen  since  "  Little  Women  "  was  written.— New  York  Evening 
Post. 

CROWN  8vo.     DECORATED  CLOTH.     $2.00  EACH. 


LITTLE,    BROWN,   &    COMPANY 

Publishers,   254  WASHINGTON    STREET,   BOSTON,    MASS. 


DCSB  Lf-BRARy 


